Shane Warne has been recognised for his service to humanity with a posthumous appointment as an Officer of the Order of Australia as part of this year's Queen's Birthday honours list.
Warne, who died in March aged 52, was given the honour for "distinguished service to cricket as a player, role model and commentator, to the community through charitable initiatives, and for philanthropic contributions".
'More than an incredible cricketer'
Warne's father Keith accepted the award on his behalf.
Here's his acceptance speech:
"Over the last few difficult months, we have reflected a great deal on Shane personally and his amazing achievements throughout his life.
"This award acknowledges those achievements and recognises that Shane was much more than an incredible cricketer.
"He really was a selfless and remarkable man who always looked to support those less fortunate.
"We are so proud of him and know he would be extremely honoured to receive such an accolade.
"We hope his legacy will inspire many generations to come."
What's an Officer of the Order of Australia?
It's one of four appointments in the civil or general — which is to say, the non-military — division of the Order of Australia, which is the country's highest level of recognition for outstanding achievement and service.
Think of it like being named student of the week in primary school, but on a much grander scale.
There are four levels in the general division:
- Companion of the Order (AC)
- Officer of the Order (AO)
- Member of the Order (AM)
- Medal of the Order (OAM)
Anyone — foreign citizens and permanent residents included — can be considered for an appointment, they just have to be nominated first.
When considering whether someone is worthy of an honour, the Council for the Order of Australia takes into account whether the nominee has:
- demonstrated achievement at a high level
- made a contribution over and above what might be reasonably expected through paid employment, or
- whose voluntary contribution to the community stands out from others who have also made a valuable contribution
Warne was one of 33 people appointed Officer of the Order in The Queen's Birthday 2022 list, with 200 people appointed AMs and 428 people awarded OAMs.
People who have been appointed to the AO rank are recognised for "distinguished service of a high degree to Australia or humanity at large".
That honour goes beyond the AM, which recognises people for "service in a particular locality or field of activity or to a particular group" and the OAM, which is for "service worthy of particular recognition".
Warne's award was for more than being good at cricket — as legendary as he was on the pitch — it also accounted for his philanthropic ventures, such as his work in Sri Lanka after the Boxing Day 2004 tsunami.
Warne was nominated before his death
Someone put Warne's name down as a nominee for an Order of Australia award before he died.
He wasn't just given an award because it seemed appropriate to honour his memory after his death.
That's not how the Order of Australia honours system works.
A person can only be recognised if they were nominated while they were still alive.
When someone is recommended for an award after their death, their next of kin is asked if they will accept the award on their behalf.
What were Shane Warne's charities?
Here's what was noted in the Queen's Birthday honours list:
- Founder and chair, Shane Warne Foundation, 2004 - 2017
- Benefactor, My Room Children's Cancer Charity
- Supporter, Challenge — supporting kids with cancer, since mid-1990s
- Former benefactor and supporter of a range of charities, particularly through the donation of memorabilia and making voluntary appearances at fundraising events, including the Elton John AIDS Foundation; Australian Red Cross; Scope; and the Small Steps Project
- Supporter, mentor and benefactor, Kinglake Community, following the 2009 Black Saturday Bushfires
- Supporter, Christchurch Earthquake Relief, 2011
- Contributed to the rebuilding of the town of Galle, Sri Lanka, and its stadium, following the Boxing Day tsunami, Foundation for Goodness, 2004
It also listed his work with the United Nations (UN) Development Program as a contributor to the Lions Share wildlife fund, which prompted the UN to establish the Shane Warne Conservation Grant in his memory.
Keith Warne spoke about his son's charitable work at the cricket great's memorial service at the MCG in March.
He spoke about picking the cricketing legend up from the airport after he arrived back in Australia after an extensive test tour, and going straight to the bedside of a young boy with terminal cancer who had been "hanging on, hoping to meet Shane":
"He had me contact the father to see if it was OK for him to pop in and say hello.
"We got the OK and went directly to the boy's home.
"Shane stayed until the lad was starting to fall asleep, which was a good two hours later, then I drove Shane home to see his own children.
"This is who he was, this summed up Shane's character as a man who took great responsibility in using his profile and privilege to bring good to the lives of people less fortunate than himself."
