General News
15 December, 2023
Stonehouse OAM
A CAMPERDOWN ex-pat has been recognised nationally for his dedication to tertiary education and the community.
University of Melbourne associate professor Noel Stonehouse, who grew up in Camperdown, was recently bestowed an Order of Australia medal as part of the King’s Birthday Honours list.
The Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) is awarded for service worthy of particular recognition.
The Order of Australia recognises Australians who have demonstrated outstanding service or exceptional achievement in a variety of fields.
Mr Stonehouse OAM said he was surprised to find out about his nomination, with a few of his referees telling him about their part in his consideration.
“The interesting thing for me was they ask people to give a report on you, and the fact that my peers, colleagues and others were positive about my work, makes me feel pretty chuffed about it.
Mr Stonehouse OAM is the second son of Ethel and previous Elders stock and station manager Willam Stonehouse, who lived in Camperdown alongside his siblings Brian and Judy.
He attended primary and secondary school in the township before moving onto Geelong Teachers College and Melbourne and Monash universities.
Mr Stonehouse OAM completed his PhD and was a representative of Australian Alumni and research fellow, at University of Nebraska in Lincoln, USA.
Mr Stonehouse OAM said his parents may not have been well-educated, but they encouraged him during his schooling years.
“My parents valued education, so I was able to get an education that a lot of people couldn’t get,” he said.
“When I went to Camperdown High School, you could do anything you wanted to.
“You weren’t just a country boy; you didn’t have to go to the bank or to Telstra, you could do other things.
“The experience living in Camperdown, I think, set me up with the right attitude.”
Mr Stonehouse OAM described the moment he found out about his nomination, looking back with a sense of pride.
“I was actually coming up in the lift, and I opened the envelope,” he said.
“It looked all very flash, because you don’t get many letters these days.
“This was very official, because it comes from the Governor-General’s office. It just said I had been nominated for this award; it still had to go through approval processes, and I also had the right to reject it.
“I felt quite honoured that I’d been nominated; it had to go through a couple of smaller processes, but I pretty much knew I was going to get it.”
Mr Stonehouse OAM primarily works in governance areas for non-government organisations and not-for-profit groups, with some work overseas during his time as a dean of international at University of Melbourne.
He said working in the multicultural refugee area, using his governance expertise, was a particular favourite topic for him.
“For instance, I did a job for the NDIS when that came in, a lot of the providers were not up to scratch financially because they had to handle massive amounts of money, and they hadn’t in the past,” he said
“My favourite one would be Louise Multicultural Centre in Box Hill, which a few of us saved from demolition, and because it’s working with people who are culturally and linguistically deprived that’s the sort of people I quite like working.
“It’s a lot of assisting people to do better and helping them in reaching their potential that I quite like doing.”
His work with the Louise Multicultural Community Centre has led to him becoming a life member, and his daughter has recently joined the board for the group.
Mr Stonehouse OAM said his whole family had been working with organisations or people with less opportunities, something he credits his award to.
“I wanted my kids there, and my wife there; without them, I wouldn’t have been able to do it,” he said.
“We work as a pretty good team.
“I wanted my wife to understand it was a team effort; I know everybody says that ‘it’s really the team’, but I quite genuinely think that, without my wife, I would not have been able to do it.”
The Stonehouse family celebrated on the grounds of Government Hose together when the award was presented, and Mr Stonehouse said he was pleased to receive the OAM.
“The day it was announced, my daughter got her PhD; we were headed to Phuket, and I had to downplay mine a little bit because it was her turn to shine,” he said.
“It’s a nice experience, and it was a nice thing for the family to reflect on and talk about.”
Mr Stonehouse OAM said his desire to help those with less opportunities was instilled in him during his time in Camperdown.
“We lived our social life in the church and were always helping people with less opportunities; I don’t like the word less fortunate,” he said.
“My whole motivation probably comes from my years in Camperdown, so that would be the underlying thing.
“The stars aligned with me; parents, school, church, everything.
“I had terrific opportunities in Camperdown; I couldn’t stay in Camperdown, but the fact my parents, the church and the school set me up for that sort of thing. I do think it’s a team effort.”