About Us

Welcome to the Victoria Branch pages of ​The Order of Australia Association National Website.

The Victoria Branch has in excess of 2,000 members and provides high profile events each year to compliment the various programs and events undertaken by the Regional Groups within Victoria.

Victoria Branch
The Branch is administered by a committee chaired by Dr Helene Bender AM supported by elected members.

Helene’s profile can be found here

Contact details for the Victoria Branch and Branch committee members can be found here

Regional Groups
Within Victoria there are thirteen Regional Groups. Seven are metropolitan based and the remaining six are located in regional and rural Victoria.

 Branch Events and Initiatives
The Victoria Branch undertakes at least three high profile events together with other initiatives each year. These are in addition to events hosted by Regional Groups.

Inspiring Australians Oration
One of the key objectives of former Victoria Branch Chair, Paul Wheelton AM was to have a ‘signature event’ created for the Victoria Branch. From this the annual Inspiring Australians Oration was established. The initial Oration in 2017 was delivered by Her Excellency Linda Dessau AC Governor of Victoria. The second Oration was delivered by Dr Susan Alberti AC. The 2019 Oration was delivered by the Lord Mayor of Melbourne Sally Capp. The 2020 Oration was held at the Melbourne Town Hall and delivered by Kevin Sheedy AO. There is more to Kevin than football; he is a marketer and thinker.

Information regarding previous orations can be found here.

Annual Lunch will be an End of Year Dinner in 2022
The Victoria Branch Annual Lunch is traditionally held in November at the William Angliss Institute where meals and waiter services are provided by hospitality students from the Institute. Each year the event includes a high-profile guest speaker. Recent speakers have included Peter Hitchener OAM, David Parkin OAM, Jane Edmanson OAM, Steve Moneghetti AM and Rosie Batty AO. The 2020 Annual Lunch was virtual due to COVID restrictions; guest speaker was Dr Robbie Gillies OAM. 2021 was also virtual with speakers Jade Hameister OAM and Paul Hameister OAM. 2022 dinner speaker will be Allan Myers AC KC

New Recipients Reception for members
This event is conducted annually to welcome Australia Day and Queen’s Birthday Order of Australia recipients who have joined the Association. Deferred in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID restrictions, held Thursday September 1, 2022 at the Melbourne Town Hall

Scholarship
2017 saw the awarding of the Victoria Branch’s first Scholarship to a promising young Victorian, a Deakin University Waterfront Campus student Jordan Eitler, via the OAA Foundation. Subsequent scholarship recipients, from within Victoria, include, Juanita Kelly-Mundine, Jeremy Doupe and Hannah Gandy. These scholarships have resulted in a tangible benefit for all members of the Association – we can see firsthand the results of our scholarship donation as each scholarship holder is a regular attendee and guest speaker at our events. In May 2023 a Victoria Branch scholarship will be awarded at the Order of Australia Association National Conference in Victoria.

Annual Events
Refer to Events page for Branch and Regional Group Events in 2022.

Communication with members
The Order quarterly national magazine includes National, Branch and Foundation information.

The VIC Branch e-newsletter. The VIC Branch produces four editions of the newsletter each year. The e-newsletter is distributed with the purpose of ensuring Victorian members are provided with information and reports on Branch and Regional Group functions.