Five distinguished Australians of Indian, Sri Lankan and Pakistani descent have been included in this year’s Australia Day Honors list by the Governor General of Australia. They have been recognized for their contribution to their / Australian community in their fields of work.
AM recipients
Professor Prithvipall Singh BHATHAL AM
Professor Prithvipall Singh BHATHAL AM from Victoria has been honored for his contribution to pathology, education and medical research sectors including mentoring Victorian Australians.
Professor Bhathal trained in histopathology at the Royal Melbourne, Royal Children’s and Alfred Hospitals and ompleted his PhD at the University of Melbourne’s Department of Pathology. Multi Award winner Professor Bhathal has an international reputation in hepatic and gastrointestinal pathology. Awarded the Distinguished Pathologist Award of the Australasian Gastrointestinal Pathology Society in October 2019, Professor Bhathal was inducted as a Fellow of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGAF) in February 2021.
His citation reads:
For significant service to pathology, to education and mentoring, and to medical research.
Professor Farees (Fary) KHAN AM
The second AM recipient is Professor Farees (Fary) KHAN AM from Victoria who has been recognized for her services to rehabilitation medicine, research and professional societies.
Farees Khan is a Specialist in Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine, and Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP). She has 20 years of experience in Neurological, Cancer and Trauma rehabilitation. She set up evidence-based specialized rehabilitation programs for specific conditions such as Multiple sclerosis, Guillain-Barre syndrome, stroke, oncology, musculoskeletal injuries and disaster management. She represents Australia (and Pacific) region for Rehabilitation Medicine at a number of international forums.
She was invited to conduct training and educational workshops/sessions to train and upskill Rehabilitation specialists and young graduates in disability medicine, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, prosthetics and research methodologies.
She says she is actively involved in helping and developing P&RM efforts in Pakistan.
Prof Khan’s citation reads:
For significant service to rehabilitation medicine, to research, and to professional societies.
OAM recipients
In addition, there are two Sri Lankans and an Indian who have been awarded the OAM and found themselves in the Australia Day Honors list.
Deepak-Raj Gupta OAM
An Australian Indian Deepak-Raj GUPTA OAM, who originally arrived in Melbourne as an international student but moved to Canberra has been recognized for his services to the community of Canberra. Deepak-Raj Gupta lives in Gungahlin ACT and is a former Labor member of the ACT legislature. He took oath of office swearing on the Bhagwat Gita in July 2019, becoming not only the first Indian-born person to hold the position of MLA in the Australian Capital Territory but also the first MLA to be sworn in on the Bhagwat Gita, representing his Hindu faith.
His citation read:
For service to the community of Canberra.
Sunil Arachchi OAM and Dr Harold Gunatillake OAM
The two Sri Lankan Aussies who received OAM this year are Mr Sunil ARACHCHI OAM from Waterways Victoria and Dr Harold GUNATILLAKE fromSutherland NSW.
Sunil Arachchi OAM has been recognized for his services to the local Sri Lankan community.
His citation reads:
For service to the Sri Lankan community of Victoria.
Dr Harold GUNATILLAKE OAM has been recognized for his service to medicine and the Sri Lankan community of New South Wales.
Dr Harold Gunatillake’s citation reads:
For service to medicine, and to the Sri Lankan community of New South Wales.
For complete Australia Day Honors list, click here.