4848
SPOSA
THE GOVERNOR GENERAL'S PLUS ULTRA This year's Australia Day honours list included four St Peters Old Scholars. Shannon King honours them here, acknowledging their service to country. Bob Krause OAM (1953) Medal of the Order of Australia for service to the community of Marburg Robert (Bob) Krause has called Marburg home for the better part of nine decades and the retired dairy farmer and father of four has become something of a local identity, having served the community of this rural town for most of his life. Over the years, Bob’s volunteer work has seen him involved with the Junior Farmers’ Organisation (Rural Youth), Marburg Rural Fire Brigade, St Matthews Lutheran Church, Bethany Primary School in Raceview, Ipswich Council City-Country Consultative Group, and as Chair for the Marburg State School Centenary Celebrations. He was also involved with the establishment of Faith Lutheran College in Plainland where he was initially a planning committee member, then College Council member for 10 years. Bob’s work with the Lutheran Church, in particular Lutheran Youth, saw the acquisition of land in Coolum on the Sunshine Coast that then became Luther Heights Youth Camp. But his proudest achievement is his nearly 60 years involvement with the Marburg Show Society where he started as a schoolboy exhibitor and then went on to serve as committee member, steward, vice president, then as president for over a decade. Bob believes his passion for volunteering was sparked by his parents who were always helping at church, school or in the local farming community. He also felt that his two years of boarding at St Peters helped to widen his interests and ‘opened a window’ for him. He is quick to acknowledge the unwavering support of his wife Janet, who looked after their children and kept things running while he was away. Describing his recognition in the 2022 Australia Day Honours list as an ‘absolute honour’, Bob said: “It’s very gratifying to know that some people thought I did something good along the way through life”.
Dr Christine Biggs (Winzour, 1981) Medal of the Order of Australia for service to the international community through diplomatic service Over the past 30-plus years, Dr Christine Biggs’ diplomatic service has taken her to cities around the world from Riyadh, Damascus and Vienna to Ankara, Tehran, and their neighbouring countries. Accompanying her husband on diplomatic postings has seen Christine involved in many community service activities such as distributing hygiene kits in refugee camps, providing mobile library services to primary schools in disadvantaged areas, organising bazaars, exhibitions, and fundraising events, and serving on charitable societies and committees. Christine (pictured with Governor General, David Hurley), describes the opportunity to live and serve in these places as ‘a great privilege’ and believes that acts of kindness and connecting with the local people though volunteering have been key to helping them form great friendships and overcome barriers, be they of language, geography, or politics. Venturing outside of embassy circles and capital cities to explore the country and immerse themselves in the local culture has enabled Christine, her husband Ian (currently Australia’s Ambassador for Arms Control and CounterProliferation) and their children to share many memorable experiences. Christine and her husband have swum the Dardanelles from Eceabat on the European side to Canakkale in Asia, and their children have learned to ski in the Austrian alps, ice skate in Vienna’s Eislauf-Verein and sail on the Danube. Christine says it is highly unusual for the contribution of a diplomatic spouse to be acknowledged in this way, and that she is ‘deeply honoured’ by the recognition of her voluntary service to the international community in this year’s Australia Day Honours List. Diplomacy, Christine says, is all about ‘observing and listening, negotiation and compromise’. “Be prepared to give generously of your time and talents, and your life will be so greatly enriched.”
Plus Ultra | June 2022
