Australia Day Honours: Volunteers Peter Stratford and Robin Randall and paramedic Nic Chadbourne recognised

Three men from the Mid West have been recognised for decades of tireless work and community efforts in the 2025 Australia Day Honours. Volunteers, the late Robin Randall from Jurien Bay and Peter Stratford from Drummond Cove, were named Order of Australia Medal recipients, while St John WA paramedic Nic Chadbourne received an Ambulance Service Medal. Mr Randall, who died in May last year from brain cancer, was acknowledged for his volunteering with emergency organisations for more than 30 years, in particular Marine Rescue Jurien Bay. His daughter Sandra said volunteering was the epitome of her father’s character and he loved helping make his community a safer place. “He took on pretty much every single role there was . . . he loved it and lived it, he was down at the base almost every day during the summer,” she said. “Mum, my brother and I are absolutely thrilled (with the honour), because it validates everything that he did. “I’m thrilled that we get this final hurrah and we get to share more about what he did for the community and what he was like.” Mr Stratford, a former career firefighter, was honoured for his service to the Geraldton community, which includes volunteer work with the Drummond Cove Progress Association and Fishability program. He has helped secure government funding to revitalise the foreshore at Drummond Cove, while he has been a big part of the success of the Fishability scheme, providing people with disability the chance to participate in the popular pastime. Mr Stratford said he would be accepting his OAM on behalf of all volunteers and frontline services. “There are a lot of worthy recipients around Geraldton who dedicate enormous amounts of time for no pay or anything. They just do it because they really, really like to help people,” he said. Mr Chadbourne joined St John WA in 2008 after other careers as a chef and jobs in marine tourism. The reason for his career switch was extremely close to home. He wanted to do something “my kids would be proud to tell their friends I did”. His distinguished service, which has seen him become one of the first community paramedics in the Mid West, has earned him national recognition. Mr Chadbourne is a single responder to emergency ambulance calls, either attending as first on the scene or as backup to volunteer crews who arrive before him. He says the job can be quite demanding at times. “You’re working in quite remote places, and it can be quite a lonely and high stress role because you are by yourself from a clinical basis. All the advanced stuff, you are on your own,” he said. In April 2021, when cyclone Seroja tore through the Mid West, Mr Chadbourne oversaw sub-centres and volunteer ambulance officers as forward commander, communicating updates with volunteers and ensuring sub-centres had their emergency plans up-to-date. “It was all about being present and supporting them in whatever way they needed,” he said.