O’Shannassy Ward councillor Jim Child received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his unwavering dedication to the Yarra Ranges.
Cr Child was one of 680 award recipients for the 2026 Australia Day Honours List, which includes people recommended to the Governor-General by the Council of the Order of Australia.
He said he was “extremely humbled” to be receiving the award.
“The way I look at it is that I’m a recipient of this for our community, because I take immense pride in representing our community,” Cr Child said.
He was noted for his contribution to community resilience and his response in managing many significant events as council mayor.
“The horrific storms we had back in 2021 and the recovery process from that and also recovery from Covid-19 as well. They were immense events which our community had to deal with,” Cr Child said.
“What we’ve got to be proud of is our community because they’re strong and they’re resilient and I see that on a day-to-day basis continually.”
His service to local government is unique as he was shire president for the Shire of Upper Yarra in 1985, before it amalgamated into the Yarra Ranges Council, where he later became mayor in 2012-2013.
He would then go on to serve as mayor from 2021 to 2025 and was put in charge of the June 2021 storms and Covid-19.
Being a descendant of the first Europeans to settle on Wurundjeri land in the Yarra Ranges, Cr Child said he was continuing the work of those before him to make the region a great place.
“The defining point for me is that it’s to be able to take the community on a journey of a long respect for each other and we’re on this journey together, that’s so important for me.”
He thanked his family for supporting him throughout the years.
“Family’s a very important part on this journey. I’ve expressed this a few times, Teresa and myself don’t have children, but to have a backstop like my wife Teresa is so important.
“I think that that’s probably my greatest piece in this journey is to have that strong family reliance and backup.”
He also pointed to the connection he has with the other councillors, highlighting the importance of the culture at the Yarra Ranges Council.
“The relationship I have with the officers, the councillors, and to come back into council in 2012, and to have that journey with the officers and councillors is so important.”
“We’ve had a change in CEOs, we’ve had a change in councillors, but that culture we have and the way we work together is extremely important and that‘s why we get good things done on the ground.”
Cr Child said he was honouring the spirit of community in receiving the OAM.
“It is the countless volunteers, the dedicated staff, the emergency services personnel, and the local groups who form the backbone of our recovery and our future.
“They embody the true spirit of service and community, and it is their unwavering commitment that I am honouring today.”
He said it was “humbling” to have been elected as a council mayor (and president) five times by his peers.
But for the council as a whole, he noted the completion of the Warburton Bike Park as one of the biggest achievements he’s made with the council.
“I’ve got to say that the journey that we’ve been on, that has been absolutely consuming for me for all the time that I’ve been on council since 2012.
“That journey has been strongly supported by the council of the day and we may have had different councillors over that period of time, but every single resolution motion that came before the council was unanimously supported for that project.
“I think that shows a great acceptance of the project and now it’s being delivered,” Cr Child said.
He said his OAM will emblemise the beauty of the Yarra Ranges and the strength of those who reside within it.
“This medal will serve as a constant reminder of the incredible people of the Yarra Ranges and the ongoing work we share to keep our communities safe, strong, vibrant, and resilient.”
