Australia Day honours for Moreton Bay residents
Community heroes from the City of Moreton Bay have been recognised in the 2025 Australia Day honours list.
We chat to some of the local legends making a difference in the place we call home.
Teresa (Terry) Bourke, Redcliffe
Teresa (Terry) Bourke has received an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) in the Australia Day Honours, recognising her devotion to swimming and those with disability.
The Redcliffe resident has spent 27 years coaching Special Olympians, even doubling her voluntary commitment to four days a week when she retired.
Terry has coached with Down Syndrome Swimming Australia, coached and competed herself with Redcliffe Peninsula Masters for more than 20 years.
She is currently a Moreton North Special Olympics Club committee member and volunteer coach at Redcliffe City High Performance Centre.
Her citation says the OAM is “for service to swimming as a coach and to people with disability”.
However, it took a phone call from Canberra to convince Terry she had been nominated.
“The awards people rang me because I hadn’t replied to an email asking if I was happy to have been nominated,” she said.
“In fact, I had deleted it! So, when they called, I just said - are you joking? But it was a wonderful surprise and I am very grateful.
“I love coaching and what it does for swimmers and their families. It makes such a difference.”
Terry was already involved with swimming when she moved to Redcliffe in 1981. She was a nurse for 45 years, 30 with Queensland Health and 25 at Redcliffe Hospital.
After marrying and having two children, Terry joined a Masters swimming group, run by Ken Wood at Scarborough. Special Olympics swimmers were in a lane alongside.
Terry invited them to join her group and became more heavily involved with Special Olympians when a grandson was born with down syndrome.
After getting coaching qualifications, Terry coached both days at weekends and having retired from nursing, added Monday and Thursday sessions.
Terry has been a committee member/volunteer/coach with Moreton North Special Olympics since 1999 and is currently Membership Officer.
She was Special Olympics Queensland Head Coach in 2022 and a coach with Down Syndrome Swimming Australia in 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2012.
Terry is also a volunteer with The Breakfast Club in Redcliffe.
Mark Sellin, Dayboro
Firefighter Mark Sellin has been saluted for 37 years of “distinguished service” helping to protect his rural community.
He has received an Australian Fire Service Medal (AFSM) in the Australia Day Honours for his dedication to the Ocean View Rural Fire Service.
Mark joined the Rural Fire Service Queensland (RFSQ) in 1988, working his way up through the ranks to first officer, which he held for 13 years.
The citation says the Dayboro resident “is a dedicated firefighter and values his role as a protector of his community.
It adds: “He has made a significant contribution to the safety and wellbeing of Ocean View”.
Mark admitted it was “quite a surprise” to get the Australia Day Honour.
“We don’t do this for awards, but it is nice when you get something,” he said. “I love being part of the rural fire brigade.”
Mark started around 40 years ago at Ocean View, where his family had property, by “tagging along” with his father who was in the Bush Fire Brigade.
Since joining the RFSQ, Mark has been as firefighter, incident manager, hazard reduction burn planner and operational crew member.
He has been in “strike teams” and sent on “prolonged deployments” in Queensland and interstate, as well as teaching and mentoring members of the brigade.
Mark’s citation highlights a house fire around 20 years ago where he was the first senior firefighter to arrive.
“He ensured occupants of the house were safe and accounted for, before organising and leading initial efforts to get the fire under control,” the citation said.
“While the house was lost, Mr Sellin’s leadership and tactical decision making was exemplary.”
Wes Bleakley, Kippa-Ring
Wes Bleakley says he is “still shocked” at receiving an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) in this year’s Australia Day Honours.
“It’s amazing to be recognised,” the CEO of ROPE (Redcliffe Opportunities for People’s Enhancement Association) said.
“I just get in, do my job and get paid for it.
“I thought the email asking if I’d except the nomination was a hoax! It wanted me to click on a link and I thought … I’m not doing that!”
A friend did some quick research and Wes phoned the Australian Day Honours staff. “They told me it was, actually, real,” he said.
The official citation says is OAM is for “service to people with a disability”.
ROPE started 25 years ago and is currently based at Scarborough “providing support services for those living with intellectual disabilities”.
The Kippa-Ring resident, who has a background in training, was working at Acacia Ridge when the chance to work closer to home arrived.
Wes joined ROPE’s management committee in 2011. Two years later he became centre manager and in 2021 the CEO. Wes has since written several ROPE programs.
‘My Future’ was launched for those aged 18-25 to help them transition from school to independent living and work.
Its focus includes communication, socialisation, community participation and inclusion, further education goals and volunteer work.
‘Skills 4 Life’ helps individuals improve skills in everyday life, home and in some cases, work encouraging involvement in their community.
ROPE TV was also launched with monthly shows containing community stories, interviews, news and updates. Wes said ROPE TV has “superseded all expectation”.
There is also a café in Margate called Industry & Co - Coffee with a Purpose and a recycle clothing store, Industry & Co Collective, in Suttons St.
ROPE has management rights for coffee shop - Industry & Co Caffeine and Curiosities - at the former Tourist Information Centre in Pelican Park, Clontarf.
Wes has also been a member of the Redcliffe Uniting Church Community Service Hub Project Steering Committee for two years.
Keith Boulton, Albany Creek
Keith Boulton’s love of history and “all things maritime” has been recognised in the 2025 Australian Day Honours.
The Albany Creek resident has received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his “service to community, particularly through history preservation”.
Keith has been a voluntary historian at the Queensland Maritime Museum (QMM) since 2009 and became an Honorary Life Member in 2014.
He created the QMM Guides Notes system and has been editor of the QMM Manifest and Murmours publications since 2021.
The avid historian has known for six months about his nomination for an OAM but still doesn’t know who put him forward.
“It was very surprising to find out and very humbling to receive such an honour,” he said.
Keith started work as a mechanic with Hornibrooks. From 1967-1970 he was involved with vessels at Heron IIsland and then on the Brisbane River with the sand and gravel industry.
The retired Health and Safety Quality Assurance Lead Auditor also spend 26 years overseas with Castol and BP in Canada, England, Vietnam, Thailand and the South Pacific.
When Keith retired, he joined Queensland Maritime Museum and works there every Thursday, as well as spending hours at home on the publications.
“It’s all volunteers and I love doing it,” he said.
Keith has also written histories on the Boulton Genelogical Records 1700-2000, Castol in Queensland, Morningside Rover Crew History 1920-2015 and scouting in Bulimba.
To be published is “Gone but not Forgotten!” - a collection of 22 short stories of ships, lighthouses, shipwrecks, submarines, torpedoes and our maritime past.
Keith has also been a volunteer at Albany Creek Uniting Church for more than 25 years and was church historian from 2019-2020.
In 1977 he was co-founder and president of Balmoral APEX Club, becoming a life member in 1983.
Keith was a member of the Friends of Balmoral Cemetery and Bulimba District Historical Society for 10 years and Group Leader of Morningside Rover Crew Scouts in the 1960s.
Daryl Scott, Samford Valley
Daryl Scott’s remarkable service to Scouts and Rotary has been recognised in the Australia Day Honours.
The Samford Valley resident has been made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for “significant service to youth in leadership roles and to the community”.
Daryl knew nothing of the Australia Day award until receiving an email three months ago asking if he accepted being nominated.
“It certainly came as a surprise,” he said, adding his wife had been involved, but "kept quiet"!
The AM follows decades of voluntary work, by the former electrical engineer and human resource manager, who was this week was in Maryborough helping with the Jamboree.
Daryl started as wolf club with Scouts Queensland in 1966. Nine years later he became an Assistant Cub Scout Leader and in 1978 a Cub Scout Leader.
From 1987-1990 Daryl was Assistant District Commissioner, North Brisbane and then - as work took him north – Chairman, District Executive at Port Curtis, from 1990-1994.
Returning to Samford in 2007, Daryl became Assistant Group Leader and from 2008-2016 Region Commissioner, Brisbane North.
He has been a member of the Branch Council and Branch Executive Committee since 2012, was Chief Commissioner 2016-2022 and is currently Immediate Past Chief Commissioner.
With Scouts Australia from 2017-2022 he was on the National Operations Team, National Executive, National Council and leader of the Digital Transformation Group.
Daryl received a Silver Kangaroo – the highest award for adult leaders in Scouts Australia – from the country’s Chief Scout in 2023.
Rotary Australia has also taken up 26 years of his life, being a past member of Sunnybank Hills, Gatton, Gladstone and Rockhampton Sunrise, where he received the 1999 Paul Harris Fellow Award.
With the Rotary Club of Samford Valley, he was a member/director from 2001-2010, president in 2006 and received the Paul Harris Sapphire Award in 2007.
Daryl was also the Samford Show Society treasurer from 2002-2006.
Amanda Young, Brendale
Amanda Young admits she “shook for a few minutes” when first hearing of her nomination for an Australia Day Honour.
The Brendale resident receives a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) “for service to youth and to the community”.
She has been involved with the Girl Guides throughout her life – starting at the age of five - and now works at state and national levels.
“It was a surprise when I got an email asking if I would accept nomination,” Amanda said.
“I’m delighted. It’s fantastic to be recognised for voluntary work and to help promote the Guides.”
Amanda was a Youth Member from 1988-1993, Unit Leader for the Lawnton District and a Guides Marshall at Brisbane’s Anzac Day marches for five years.
She became Regional International Consultant for the Andrew Petrie Region from 2012-2015 and Contingent Leader in 2013, 2018 and 2023.
Amanda has been Queensland Guides State program Co-ordinator since 2020 and chaired the Queen’s Guide Awards in 2021 and 2022.
In fact, Amanda’s involved with Guides working on the Queen’s Award led to her being invited to rewrite the award syllabus.
She is currently Assistant District Manager and Lone Guide Unit Leader, Lone Guides Queensland as well as a member of the Platinum Flyers Lone Trefoil Guild.
Her work has previously been recognised by the State Commissioner’s Commendation Award, Girl Guides Queensland in 2022 and Asia Pacific Region leadership Award in 2023.
Amanda was in the Australian Navy and is currently a Property Acquisitions Co-ordinator with Propertyology and an affiliate member of the Real Estate Institute of Queensland.
John Rowan, Woodford
John Rowan’s “remarkable skill and dedication” to the Queensland Corrective Service (QCS) at Woodford has been recognised in the Australia Day Honours.
For “distinguished service” over 36 years, Mr Rowan has received an Australian Corrections Medal (ACM) in the 2025 awards.
He joined the QCS in December 1988 at Woodford Correctional Centre (WCC) and became a dog handler in January 1997.
As a member of the WCC Dog Squad, Mr Rowan excelled in emergency response, drug detection and high security prisoner escorts.
The citation says he has “consistently demonstrated remarkable skill, professionalism, and dedication to ensuring the safety and security of the correctional facility”.
It adds, Mr Rowan played a “pivotal role” in drug detection using his passive alert detection dogs within the centre.
Thanks to his “exceptional ability to train his dogs in detection” and “thorough approach to searching visitors”, illegal substances have been detected.
It says Mr Rowan also showed “outstanding courage in the face of danger in a centre riot in 1997” and escorted high-security prisoners into the community.
“Beyond his specific duties, Mr Rowan embodies the core values of integrity, dedication, and excellence that are emblematic of QCS,” the citation says.