The 2026 King's Birthday Honours recognises public servants who have championed integrity, through to those who have reassembled military aircraft for display.
Canberra public servants featured heavily on the list of Australians who Governor-General Sam Mostyn said had contributed to shaping our nation.
"The work of our award recipients, and the contributions of the thousands of Australians who have been nominated and recognised throughout the history of our honours system, is something we can take great pride in celebrating," Ms Mostyn said.
Read through the list to see which Canberrans have been honoured this year for their contributions to public administration, the fire service and emergency services.
Recently retired Public Service Commissioner Gordon de Brouwer has been appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service over decades of contributions to the federal public service.
Dr de Brouwer first began his public service career as a Treasury graduate in Canberra in 1987 and would go on to serve as secretary of the Department of the Environment and Energy from 2013 to 2017.
His work as a member of the 2018 Thodey review into public sector reform led to his appointment as secretary of public sector reform in 2022 before becoming the Public Service Commissioner in 2023.
As commissioner, Dr de Brouwer oversaw a period of intense focus on integrity for the public service, including investigations into current and former public servants who were referred by the robodebt royal commission.
Public Service Minister Katy Gallagher described him as "a driving force behind helping us to build a more capable, ethical and community-focused public service".
His appointment recognised his contributions to diversity, environmental conservation, and to education.
Newly appointed Employment and Workplace Relations secretary, Simon Duggan, has been awarded the Public Service Medal for his "exemplary and decisive" leadership in the Climate Change Department.
Mr Duggan was a deputy secretary in the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water from 2022 until February 2026.
He led initiatives that supported renewable energy investment, safeguarded gas supplies, secured renewable energy agreements with states and territories and centred First Nations people at the heart of national energy policy.
He received the medal in recognition of his "exceptional adroit leadership, collaborative approach and deserved reputation for integrity, rigour and intellect".
Australia's High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea has been appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for his significant service to international relations, public administration and the community.
Mr McDonald has also served as a deputy secretary in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, a deputy director-general of AusAID and a deputy secretary in the former Education Employment and Workplace Relations Department.
A former chief executive of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Barry Sandison has been appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for his service in health and welfare public administration.
He also serves on boards including Australia's National Research Organisation for Women's Safety and the Alcohol and Drug Foundation.
Appointed a Member of the Order of Australia, Anthony Sheehan has been recognised for significant service to Australia's national security and to public administration.
His career has included roles as a deputy director-general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, a senior public servant in the Foreign Affairs and Trade and Attorney-General's departments and as the Commonwealth Counter Terrorism Coordinator.
Kylie Barber has been awarded a Public Service Medal for her work in establishing a cross-agency taskforce that significantly strengthened the integrity framework of the federal workforce.
Ms Barber is an Assistant Commissioner at the Australian Public Service Commission, where she has led the development of "enduring mechanisms for information sharing between agencies to address fraud [ensuring] the government is better equipped to prevent and respond to insider threats and integrity risks".
Andrew Beswick has been awarded the Public Service Medal for outstanding service in changing government practices, aimed at improving outcomes for First Nations people.
Dr Beswick was pivotal in the co-design of reforms to the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 and recently led a new partnership with the First Nations Heritage Protection Alliance to co-design reforms to cultural heritage laws.
He has been recognised for his "true and unwavering commitment to improving outcomes for First Nations people across Australia".
Jared Greenville has earned the Public Service Medal for service to the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES), and to research and agriculture, economics and food security policy.
Dr Greenville has been recognised for significantly shaping the direction and impact of ABARES and its ability to respond to challenges such as climate change, increasing biosecurity threats and global market disruption.
The Australian War Memorial's Kassandra Hobbs has received the Public Service Medal for displaying "exceptional skills, leadership qualities and expertise beyond what is expected of an officer at her level" in her delivery of displays of the National Collective items.
Her achievements include "disassembly, reassembly and display preparation of the iconic Lancaster bomber, the towing of a Chinook helicopter 38.1km through Canberra in the middle of the night, display of a Blackhawk helicopter reassembled 5m in the air, and planning and execution of crane lifts for armoured vehicles".
Services Australia deputy chief executive, Bo Robertson, has received the Public Service Medal for leading transformational change in the organisation that has improved service outcomes for Australians.
Mrs Robertson oversees the delivery of Centrelink, Medicare, integrity and child support operations and has led teams to significantly reduce backlogs of customer claims and calls.
She has been recognised for setting "a benchmark for excellence" and delivering "tangible benefits" to the public.
David Pennock has been awarded the Australian Fire Service Medal for more than 30 years of service to the ACT Rural Fire Service, including as a captain at the Southern Districts Brigade.
He has made significant contributions fighting fires close to home, including having an active role in the 2001, 2003 and 2019-2020 Canberra bushfires.
He has been recognised for "the camaraderie he has cultivated in his brigade through his own leadership" as a highly regarded captain, friend and mentor.
Matthew Shonk has received the Australian Fire Service Medal in recognition of his "unwavering commitment to protecting life and property" over a 28-year career with ACT Fire and Rescue.
Mr Shonk is recognised for advocating for the enhancement of the fire service's frontline delivery techniques in every role he has held, from a senior firefighter and superintendent right through to his time as interim chief officer.
Patrick Coffey has been awarded the Emergency Services Medal for his work in frontline roles with the ACT State Emergency Service over the past 13 years.
He is the commander of the ACT SES Gungahlin Unit and has "brought cohesion and direction to a unit that had experienced significant turnover, fostering a culture of resilience and growth".
He has made significant contributions to the safety and wellbeing of the ACT community through the Queensland flood response in 2025, support to the 2019-20 bushfires, the 2020 Canberra hailstorm, and the COVID-19 response in the ACT.
