Zoe Moffatt
Three Macedon Ranges residents have been celebrated for their community contribution in the King’s Birthday Honours List.
The Governor-General announced the honours and awards for 1191 Australians on Sunday, June 11, with Alexander Forrest, Leslie Binns and John Ellis awarded medals of the Order of Australia.
Mr Forrest, a Mt Macedon resident, was recognised for his service to youth through Scouts, and he said the award came out of the blue.
“I’m very surprised and very honoured,” he said.
“It’s something that doesn’t enter your mind when you’re doing something you enjoy and is rewarding.”
Mr Forrest said he has over 30 years experience as an adult in Scouts and one of the highlights has been helping to refurbish the Scout halls.
“The smiles on the faces of the people when we could give them a hand and help with the refurbishments of the halls … was a highlight,” he said.
“Overall the real pleasure is being able to do something to help the young people of this country to develop the skills and resilience to carry on … in building and developing the country.
“This is not an easy time to be living and developing and trying to build a career, resilience is important.”
Mr Binns, a Kyneton resident, was awarded a medal of the Order of Australia for his service to the performing arts through production roles.
Mr Binns started his work in production roles as a set decorator in the 1960s, and worked in a range of successful films including; Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles, The Man from Snowy River and Moby Dick.
“I started back in the 60s, and worked my way up from a set decorator, and then I got up to a set designer and an art director and then a production designer,” Mr Binns said.
“I like the concept of getting a script and working out the look of the film.”
Mr Binns said a highlight of his time was getting to work in the early days of colour television, and the different people he got to work with.
“I worked in Prague, Europe, London and America … I saw a lot of the world and it was amazing,” he said.
“There’s so many talented people you work with … there’s a fantastic collection of talent but no one can do it by themselves.
“It’s a combination of talent.”
Mr Binns has also received an American Emmy Nomination, American Film Institute Nomination and is a Life Member of The Society of Australian Cinema Pioneers.
Mr Ellis, a Newham resident and Hanging Rock Winery chief executive was recognised for his service to the oenology industry, with his career spanning more than 50 years.
After graduating from Roseworthy College as the dux of his class, Mr Ellis went on to start his career in the Barossa Valley and opened the Hanging Rock Winery with wife in 1983.
Mr Ellis said a highlight of his time was defining Victoria’s geographic indications in the early days of the Victorian Wine Industry Association.
“I was the executive officer at the time,” he said, “the really tricky regions were initially the Macedon Ranges and the King Valley.
“Later I was given the task to help officially split Heathcote from the Bendigo region which was the hardest of them all… it took a lot of negotiating’.
Throughout his career Mr Ellis held many roles including; vice president of Winemakers Federation of Australia (WFA), chairman of WFA small winemakers committee, executive officer of Victorian Wine Industry Association and president of Macedon Ranges vignerons association.
