Armidale 

Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to the community of Armidale through reconciliation and social justice organisations. 

For feminist and social justice advocate Barbara Finch, her Australia Day honour is important because it sheds light on issues she is passionate about. 

Her devotion to Aboriginal reconciliation, the anti-war peace movement and advocating for the rights of refugees have all been part of a wider group effort.

“They are sometimes seen as real minority things, which is a bit of a pity, because in Armidale lots of people are standing up for those sorts of things,” Ms Finch said. 

She was a community radio announcer for the Women’s Word and Music program and won a national award in 1989 for her radio documentary on domestic violence, an issue that still reverberates in homes right across Australia. 

With “Women in Black” she gathers with locals in a silent vigil outside the courthouse once a month as a visible call to peace. 

“I oppose all sorts of violence, from the international to the domestic,” she said. 

Ms Finch also volunteers her time at the New England Regional Art Museum and the Armidale Choral Society, as well as planting trees for sustainability.