Shane Warne has been recognized for his service to humanity with a posthumous appointment as an Officer of the Order of Australia as part of this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honors List.
Warne, who died in March at the age of 52, was honored with “distinguished service to cricket as a player, model and commentator, to the community through charitable initiatives and philanthropic contributions.”
“More than an amazing cricketer”
Warne’s father, Keith, accepted the award on his behalf.
Here is his acceptance speech:
“Over the last few difficult months, we’ve been thinking a lot about Shane personally and his amazing successes throughout his life.
“This award recognizes these achievements and recognizes that Shane was so much more than just an amazing cricketer.
“He was really a selfless and remarkable man who always sought to support the less fortunate.
“We are very proud of him and we know he would be very honored to receive this recognition.
“We hope his legacy will inspire many future generations.”
What is an Officer of the Order of Australia?
It is one of four appointments in the civil or general division, the non-military division, of the Order of Australia, which is the highest level of recognition in the country for exceptional achievements and service.
Think of it as being named student of the week in elementary school, but on a much larger scale.
There are four levels in the general division:
- Companion of the Order (AC)
- Order Officer (AO)
- Member of the Order (AM)
- Medal of the Order (OAM)
Anyone – including foreign nationals and permanent residents – can be considered for an appointment, they only need to be appointed first.
Shane Warne was honored for his work on and off the cricket ground. (AAP: Julian Smith)
When considering whether someone is worthy of an honor, the Council of the Order of Australia considers whether the candidate has:
- achievements achieved at a high level
- made a contribution beyond what could reasonably be expected through paid work, or
- whose voluntary contribution to the community stands out from others who have also made a valuable contribution
Warne was one of 33 officers nominated for the Order on the Queen’s Birthday 2022 list, with 200 nominees for AM and 428 nominees for OAM.
People who have been nominated for the AO degree are recognized for the “distinguished high-grade service to Australia or to humanity at large”.
This honor goes beyond the AM, which recognizes people for “service in a particular locality or area of activity or a particular group” and the OAM, which is for “a service worthy of particular recognition.” .
Warne’s award was more than good at cricket, as legendary as he was on the field, he also recounted his philanthropic endeavors, such as his work in Sri Lanka after the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami.
Warne was nominated before his death
Someone named Warne nominated for an Australian Order award before he died.
Not only was he given an award because it seemed opportune to honor his memory after his death.
This is not how the Order of Australia’s honor system works.
A person can only be recognized if he or she was nominated while still alive.
When someone is recommended for an award after their death, their relatives are asked if they will accept the award on their behalf.
Warne had been nominated for recognition before his death at just 52 years old. (News video)
What were Shane Warne’s charities?
Here’s what was listed on the Queen’s Birthday Honors List:
- Founder and President of the Shane Warne Foundation, 2004 – 2017
- Benefactor, My Room Children’s Cancer Charity
- Supporter, Challenge: Supporting children with cancer since the mid-1990s
- Former benefactor and supporter of a number of charities, especially through donations and voluntary appearances at fundraising events, including the Elton John AIDS Foundation; Australian Red Cross; Scope; and the Little Steps Project
- Supporter, mentor, and benefactor of the Kinglake community after the Black Saturday 2009 wildfires
- Supporters, Christchurch Earthquake Relief, 2011
- He contributed to the reconstruction of the city of Galle, Sri Lanka, and its stadium, after the Boxing Day tsunami, Foundation for Goodness, 2004
He also listed his work with the United Nations Development Program (UN) as a collaborator of the Lions Share Wildlife Fund, which prompted the UN to establish the Shane Warne Conservation Fellowship in his memory.
Keith Warne spoke about his son’s charity work at the MCG Grand Cricket Memorial Service in March.
He talked about picking up the airport cricket legend after arriving in Australia after an extensive test tour and going straight to bed for a child with terminal cancer who had been “waiting, hoping to meet Shane “:
“He made me contact my father to see if it was okay for him to come in and greet him.
“We had permission and went straight to the boy ‘s house.
“Shane stayed until the boy started falling asleep, which was about a good two hours later, then I took Shane home to see his own children.
“That’s who he was, that summed up Shane’s character as a man who took great responsibility in using his profile and privilege to bring good to the lives of people less fortunate than himself.”
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