Jenan Taylor
16 June 2022
Thursday
Margaret Richardson has been awarded a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant services to the Anglican Church of Australia.
Some of her roles within the church included academic roles in Anglican colleges, and being a council member of Anglican Community Services in Adelaide in the 1990s.
Ms Richardson was chair of council at Janet Clarke Hall from 2006 to 2008 and again from 2014 to 2018. She also supported her husband’s role as a representative of the Archbishop of Canterbury to the Holy See, among others.
Ms Richardson said two particularly fulfilling contributions had included connecting Janet Clarke Hall with significant benefactors, and the work she had done in Rome while her husband had been in tenure there.
It had involved assisting people from the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Church to develop purposeful connections.
She also said contributing to the reshaping of Adelaide’s Magdalene Centre, a service for people in need, as a St Peter’s cathedral representative, had been especially rewarding.
Earlier
A lifelong Anglican and 2022 Senior Australian of the Year nominee has received a Medal of the Order of Australia on this year’s Queen’s Birthday honour list.
Mabel Hibbert has been honoured with a OAM for her services to the Anglican Church of Australia, after being a member of the Oakleigh Anglican churches all her life
Other Anglicans on the list were former Janet Clarke Hall chair Margaret Richardson, a former Melbourne Anglican Foundation director the late Ian Reid, and hotel-owner and Tolarno Art Prize sponsor Bernard Corser.
Mrs Hibbert was also former president of the Anglican Mother’s Union where she has been a member since 1957.
Known for her love of knitting, some of her achievements as part of her Mother’s Union work included creating beanies and gloves for frontline soldiers and thousands of teddy bears for children in hospital.
Oakleigh Anglican vicar the Reverend Colleen Arnold-Moore said that although in her 90s Mrs Hibbert was still involved with the Mainly Music, hospitality and children’s ministry programs.
Ms Arnold-Moore described Mrs Hibbert as an “indomitable woman” with phenomenal energy and focus.
She said that once when Mrs Hibbert had been asked what has kept her going, she’d answered it was God.
“She said, ‘God is the reason I do everything because God loves us,’” Ms Arnold-Moore said.
Former Janet Clarke Hall chair of council Ms Richardson was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant services to the Anglican Church of Australia. She was at Janet Clarke Hall from 2006 to 2008 and again from 2014 to 2018.
Some of her roles within the church included academic roles in Anglican colleges, her volunteer work at St Paul’s cathedral between 1998 and 2008, and Board membership with Anglican Community Services in Adelaide. She also supported her husband’s role as a representative of the Archbishop of Canterbury to the Holy See, among others.
The late Mr Reid was honoured with an AM for his significant service to the community including through social welfare organisations. The former senior executive for Australian Consolidated Industries had also been a board member of the Brotherhood of St Laurence from 1983 to 2008, a panel selection member of the Churchill Trust for more than 20 years and had held leadership positions at the Melbourne Anglican Foundation from 1988 to 2011.
Mr Corser received an OAM for his services to the community through a range of roles. These included his work on the board of Boroondara Aged Care Services Society Care, his voluntary work with the Catholic Church of Australia and his current position as warden of the St Dunstan’s Anglican Church in Camberwell, where he has been a parishioner since 1958.
Do you know of any other Melbourne Anglicans who have received Queen’s Birthday Honours? Email us at editor@melbourneanglican.org.au.
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