Australia Day 2019 Honours List
Alumni Mark Squirrell (’89) and Ian Watts (’65) were honoured on 26 January 2019 by the Governor General of Australia, General Sir Peter Cosgrove AK, MC.
A diverse group of Australians were honoured, from film producers to authors and sporting heroes and of note the 2019 list had the highest proportion of women ever. The Honours list is separated into three gazettes, Order of Australia, Meritorious and Distinguished and Conspicuous.
Humanitarian Aid Worker and Motivational Speaker, Mark Squirrell from the Class of 1989 received an OAM for service to the international community through humanitarian aid. A former member of the Australian Army Reserve and author of ‘From Arafat to Everest’, Mark climbed to the top of Mount Everest in 2006 to raise awareness on global hunger. Mark has returned to Ivanhoe on numerous occasions helping to inspire the next generation.
Manager of Public Programs at Old Treasury Building Museum, Ian Watts from the Class of 1965 received an OAM for service to the museums and galleries sector.
It is wonderful to see members of the Ivanhoe community, Mark Squirrell and Ian Watts, receive recognition through these highly esteemed awards for all their hard work and dedication.
We caught up with Mark not long ago as part of our exceptional Alumni stories. In the interview, he expands on his life and how his education at Ivanhoe shaped him. Click here to watch the interview with Mark
