Annual Report 2024
This image is based on the Society’s original 1895 Certificate of Merit. it embodies:
“The allegorical figure of a woman, gracious and resolute who typifies the Society and its work. Against a background of angry grey-green sea a ship with rent sails and shattered masts is struggling in the surf. Standing firmly above the surging ocean on solid rock the woman’s right hand rests on the head of a child she has rescued, and she stretches forth her left hand with a laurel wreath to honour the brave.”
PATRON-IN-CHIEF
His Majesty King Charles III
PATRON
Her Excellency The Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC Governor of New South Wales
PRESIDENT: Colonel Alexander Dangar (Ret’d)
CHAIR: Mr David Turner
VICE-CHAIR: Ms Kathy Merrick
HONORARY TREASURER: Mr Chris Honey
HONORARY SECRETARY AND PUBLIC OFFICER: Mr James Smith AFSM
HONORARY MEDIA OFFICER: Mr Andrew Parsons
COUNCILLORS:
The Honourable Michael Pembroke KC
Dr Barry Catchlove AM
Colonel John Hutcheson AM (Ret’d)
Ms Kim Anderson
Mr Peter Stathis AFSM
Mr Mitchell Parker JP
Commissioner Karen Webb APM, NSW Police Force - Represented by Assistant Commissioner Scott Whyte APM
Commissioner Jeremy Fewtrell AFSM, Fire and Rescue NSW - Represented by Mr Michael Baldi
Commissioner Dr Dominic Morgan ASM, Ambulance Service of NSW - Represented by Assistant Commissioner Peter Elliott ASM
Commissioner Bob Rogers AFSM, Rural Fire Service of NSW - Represented by Deputy Commissioner Kyle Stewart APM
Acting Commissioner Debbie Platz APM, NSW State Emergency Service - Represented by Assistant Commissioner Sean Kearns ESM
ASSISTANT SECRETARY
Ms Sandra Kyriakopoulos
REGIONAL AMBASSADORS
Ms Michelle de Friskbom
Mr Mark Elm
Mr Eamonn Purcell
LIFE GOVERNORS
Ms Beatrice Gray
Rear Admiral Anthony Hunt AO RAN (Ret’d)
LIFE MEMBERS
Major Roland Millbank MA MPhil JD (Ret’d)
The Society’s Council for 2023-2024 at Government House, Sydney
Councillors and Regional Ambassadors at the 2024 Investiture
L to R: Mr Mitchell Parker JP, Councillor and Ambassador Lead; Mr Mark Elm, Ambassador; The Honourable Michael Pembroke KC, Councillor; Mrs Michelle De Friskbom, Ambassador; Her Excellency the Governor of NSW; Mr James Smith AFSM, Honorary Secretary; Ms Sandra Kyriakopoulos, Assistant Secretary; Mr David Turner, Council Chair; Ms Kathy Merrick, Council Vice Chair; Mr Eamonn Purcell, Ambassador.
HISTORY
The Royal Humane Society of New South Wales was founded on 25 July 1887 as the National Shipwreck Relief Society to provide financial relief for widows and orphans of mariners who had perished at sea, and to honour the bravery of courageous people who risked their lives to save others in dangerous situations.
In 1902 His Majesty King Edward VII gave approval for the Society to be known as the Royal Shipwreck Relief and Humane Society of NSW.
In 1968 Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II approved the change of name to the Royal Humane Society of NSW in common with all Commonwealth Nations. The Society was incorporated on 26 February 2010.
OBJECTIVE
The Society recognises acts of public bravery by bestowing awards on those who risk their lives in saving or attempting to save, others in dangerous circumstances.
Since its inception, the Society has conferred over 6,200 bravery awards, comprising the Galleghan Award, Gold Medal, Silver Medal, Bronze Medal, Certificate of Merit, Letter of Commendation, Team Award and the Sir Neville Pixley Award.
HOW THE SOCIETY FUNCTIONS
The management of the Society is vested in its Council which meets quarterly on the first Monday of March, June, September and December. The Society’s Annual General Meeting is also held in December. An Executive Committee meets quarterly to manage day-to-day operations.
Cases of bravery are submitted by civilians and the NSW state emergency services. The details of each case are verified and presented by the Executive to the Council for the determination of awards.
KINDRED SOCIETIES
The Society has warm relationships with kindred Societies in other Commonwealth countries.
THE GALLEGHAN AWARD
The Galleghan Award was instituted in 1996 and 7ecognizes the most outstanding acts of bravery in the year. The recipient of the Galleghan Award is nominated by the Society for consideration to receive the Stanhope Gold Medal, the highest award for bravery in the British Commonwealth.
GOLD MEDAL
SILVER MEDAL
BRONZE MEDAL
CERTIFICATE OF MERIT
Certificates of Merit are awarded with all medal awards or are awarded individually.
SIR NEVILLE PIXLEY AWARD
The Sir Neville Pixley Award is a special award for young people who have performed humane acts.
TEAM AWARD
Team Awards are conferred on groups who provide essential communication, logistical, support and coordination services to front-line rescuers in major events.
LETTER OF COMMENDATION
The Stanhope Medal is an award made under the charter of the Royal Humane Society (England). It was instituted in 1873 as the United Kingdom Society’s highest award for bravery each year. Since 1962 all kindred Commonwealth Societies are invited each year to nominate their most outstanding cases for adjudication for the award.
Recipients of Royal Humane Society of NSW awards have been awarded the Stanhope Medal on 14 occasions.
Ms Suzanne Stevens receiving the Gold Medal and Galleghan Award for 2024 from Her Excellency the Governor. Suzanne was also nominated for the Royal Humane Society UK’s Stanhope Medal.
PATRON IN CHIEF
During the year His Royal Highness King Charles III confirmed he will be Patron in Chief of the Society, following in the footsteps of Her Highness Queen Elizabeth II who took a keen interest in the activities of this and all kindred Societies supporting bravery in the Commonwealth.
VALE
Two distinguished members of the Society passed away during the year:
Life Governor and former Chair Major General The Honourable Clifton Hoeben AM RFD (Ret'd)
Life Member Mr Robert May APM
We salute their many years of outstanding service.
RETIREMENTS AND NEW APPOINTMENTS TO COUNCIL
Mr. Donald MacDonald retired as President in 2023. We are very grateful for his many years of distinguished service.
Colonel Alexander (Fred) Dangar (Retd) retired after 3 years in the Chair to take up the position of President. Fred led us through the difficult Covid pandemic when our annual investiture was cancelled for one year and held with social distancing in two others. Fred’s new role mirrors that of his great, great uncle Frederick Holkham Dangar who was a Founder of the Society in 1877 and its President until his death in 1920.
Councillor Kathy Merrick is the new Vice Chair. Kathy is strengthening our strategic partnership with the NSW Rural Fire Service in her role as Captain of the Rural Fire Brigade on Dangar Island in the Hawkesbury River.
Councillor Peter Stathis AFSM stepped down as Honorary Secretary and Public Officer at the beginning of 2024 but is continuing as a Councillor and member of the Executive.
Major John Hoban (Retd.) retired as Honorary Publicity Officer and Michael Delman retired as our Administrative Assistant. We thank them for their many years of service and wish them well for the future.
We welcome the following new members of the Society, each of whom brings exceptional skills to their respective roles:
Mr James (Jim) Smith AFSM is our new Honorary Secretary and Public Officer. Jim brings many years of experience in senior roles in Fire and Rescue NSW and the State Emergency Service.
Ms Sandra Kyriakopoulos joined the Society as Assistant Secretary to Jim Smith, having worked as his personal assistant in NSW Fire and Rescue for many years.
Mr Mitchell (Mitch) Parker JP joined Council to lead our new team of Regional Ambassadors. Mitch is a former senior officer with the State Emergency Service and was awarded the Society’s Silver Medal in 2020 for multiple flood rescues at Stroud.
Mr Andrew Parsons joined Council as Honorary Media Officer. He has extensive experience with NSW Fire and Rescue and operates his own media business, with a wide network in press, radio and television. Andrew organized excellent TV coverage of the Society’s 2024 investiture at Government House, Sydney.
OUR REGIONAL AMBASSADOR TEAM
Councillor Mitch Parker has assembled a team of Regional Ambassadors to extend the Society’s outreach into regional NSW and to liaise with NSW emergency services, local government and regional media to ensure that all those who risk their lives to save others are brought to the Society’s attention.
The Ambassadors have extensive experience in the NSW emergency services and we welcome them:
Ms. Michelle de Friskbom
Mr. Mark Elm
Mr. Eamonn Purcell
2023 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The AGM was held on Monday 4 December 2023. Councillors and officebearers were elected for a period of twelve months.
OUR NEW WEBSITE
The Society has commissioned a new website to showcase our history and awards and, most importantly, attract more bravery notifications through an online nomination form. The site will go live in early 2025 and it is planned to link it with social media platforms to broaden the Society’s community outreach. We thank Fire and Rescue NSW for hosting our previous website.
RURAL FIRE SERVICE OF NSW ST FLORIAN’S BRAVERY AWARDS
The Rural Fire Service of NSW presents bravery awards to its members on the feast day of St Florian, the patron saint of fire. We are pleased to report that these RFS members are now being referred to the Society for consideration for our awards as a mark of civilian recognition of their brave actions. Our thanks to RFS Commissioner Bob Rogers, Deputy Commissioner Kyle Stewart and Vice Chair Kathy Merrick for bringing this important initiative to fruition. All the NSW state emergency services now refer their bravery award recipients to the Society for consideration for our awards.
APPRECIATION
The Society is most grateful for the continuing Vice Regal patronage of Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC, Governor of New South Wales. We are also grateful for the assistance of Her Excellency’s Official Secretary Colonel Michael Miller RFD (Retd.) and Her Excellency’s office in facilitating our annual investiture.
The New South Wales government is a valued long-term supporter of the Society and provides an annual grant for which we are most grateful.
We thank Fire and Rescue NSW for its support over many years and for the office space and communication facilities provided in the City Fire Station in Castlereagh St, Sydney.
The Society gratefully acknowledges the contribution of our partners:
Norton Rose Fulbright, Honorary Solicitors
Cutcher and Neale, Auditors
Looking Glass Creative, Webmaster
Cr. David Turner
CHAIR
The Ballroom at Government House, Sydney, venue for the presentation of the the Society’s 2024 Bravery Awards.
Officers of the NSW Police Force who received the Society’s bravery awards at the 2024 investiture, with the Governor of NSW Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC, Governor of NSW.
