When Bob Shewring's time in the military came to an end, it was only the beginning for his service to the community.
Being appointed to the Order of Australia is an acknowledgement of his volunteering and mentoring that continued long after his tours ended.
"Volunteering for a lot of things is called the dying art, but I believe quite strongly that that's not the case," he said.
"I believe there are people out there saying, 'What can I do? How can I help?'
"Volunteering is a wonderful thing … I do it because I want to make a difference … just see what you can do today to make a difference."
Mr Shewring, the president of Veterans Australia NT, has been recognised on the 2022 Queen's Birthday Honours List after advocating tirelessly for the mental health of veterans and emergency service personnel.
"We try as best we can to help and assist in prevention of suicide," he said.
"Not only veterans — emergency services, police, fire, Border Force, immigration … and we've been advocating for a long time to have a 10-bed inpatient facility built in the Northern Territory."
Persistence and vision
The husband and wife team of Bob Richards and Julie Tyson built their barramundi farm from overgrown rice paddocks off the Top End's Adelaide River.
The operation initially had no running water or all-weather road access. Now, it's the second-largest of its kind in the world.
After being appointed into the Order of Australia, the pair say the growth of their business has been helped along by countless others over the years, and that the results are an enterprise the community can be proud of.
'We are doing this for the community'
Detective Sergeant Annette Cooper received the Australian Police Medal in recognition of her 38 years of service in the Northern Territory Police.
Like all of the Territorians nominated by her peers for Queen's Birthday honours, she's proud to be a part of a team.
"I know how hard they work, because I've been with them. We're a team and we achieve.
"I'm just so honoured to be a part of that team and to get this recognition."
'A voice for our children'
Learne Dunne has been involved in remote education as a teacher and a principal for over 20 years.
"Education is often driven by the adults and what the adult voices are," she said.
"So a really big part of my learning has been around enabling every child to have a voice.
Like her fellow Territory recipients of Queen's Birthday honours, Ms Dunne paid tribute to her mentors.
"Most of my mentors are my lifelong friends," she said.
"And then there's those people who are mentors because they've challenged me.
"They've helped me stay curious about what it is I do, and particularly why I do it."
Compassion and professionalism
For Andrew Thomas, the director of St Johns ambulance services during the pandemic, receiving the Ambulance Service Medal was about recognising all the health workers behind the scenes.
"No individual could have managed our response, particularly to COVID," he said.
"I have to acknowledge the great work of the staff and our volunteers over the time that we've been managing the pandemic.
