Congratulations from Binna Burra to Timothy Gray MEDHURST, appointed OAM in the January 2023 Australia Day Honours List, for service to the community through a range of organisations.
MEDAL (OAM) OF THE ORDER OF AUSTRALIA IN THE GENERAL DIVISION. The Order of Australia recognises Australians who have demonstrated outstanding service or exceptional achievement.[1]
Since the 2019 bushfires @ Binna Burra, Tim has been our Senior Consultant for Development and Infrastructure, and is now the Project Manager for the construction of the new lodge and accommodation at Mt Roberts.
Binna Burra Chairperson, Steve Noakes said:
‘For more than four decades, Tim has made a remarkable contribution to numerous not-for-profit and purpose-driven organisations which have done much good to people and places.
Just two examples include his 44 year involvement with Outward Bound Australia, the not-for-profit educational organisation that helps people discover, develop and achieve their potential (including 20 years of service to Outward Bound International), and his lengthy involvement with the Youth Enterprise Trust (YET), a Queensland based charity whose programs are designed ‘… to improve the lives of young people through the engagement with the environment, education and entrepreneurship”.
My primary connection with Tim is through his significant contributions to the iconic, heritage listed Binna Burra Lodge located within the Lamington National Park, Queensland. Over the past 15 years, Tim has been instrumental in all major development activities which have sustained this social/environmental facility in the hinterland of the Gold Coast.
In early September 2019, at the beginning of a very challenging bushfire period in Australia, the first major destruction of houses and buildings was at Beechmont and then at Binna Burra. Eleven local homes were lost, and others damaged. This included homes associated with some long term Binna Burra shareholders and staff. Sadly, our 86 year old heritage listed lodge and cabins at Binna Burra were destroyed and damage was sustained to the Skylodges and others parts of Binna Burra.
In the immediate days following the fire, I reached out to Tim to consider rejoining the Board of Binna Burra to help us through the response, recovery and rebuild stages. He agreed without hesitation and also accepted the senior role post-fire of Project Manager’ for all aspects of our reconstruction – planning, designing, stakeholder consultations, dealing with a range of operational and high level policy issues with all levels of government. Tim’s experience and leadership has been, and will continue to be, of vital importance as we reopen.
Throughout his life, Tim has consistently demonstrated outstanding service and exceptional achievement in both his professional and personal endeavours. In particular he has inspired generations of young people – especially when they were in need of a helping hand.
He continues to do just that.
He is one of those people who makes Australia what it is.’
[1] www.gg.gov.au/australian-honours-and-awards/order-australia
Tim Medhurst OAM (R) giving a progress update to Binna Burra’s local Federal and State Members of Parliament, Hon. Scott Buchholz (2R) and Hon Jon Krause (L), in August 2022, accompanied by Steve Noakes(2L). At Mt Roberts, site of the former Binna Burra Lodge destroyed in the bushfires on 8 September 2019, and site of the new lodge and accommodation to be opened in the second half of 2024.
