Community & Business
21 June, 2024
Kings honours for locals
ONGOING passion, dedication and hard work within the Tablelands community have paid off for two local men, who have been recognised on the King’s Birthday Honours list recently.
Lotus Glen Correctional Centre custodial correctional supervisor John Rosset and former Scouts Australia chief commissioner and current Tinaroo Environmental Education Centre principal Phil Harrison were both named in the honours list after many years of commitment to their respective organisations.
For Phil, being honoured with one of the 131 Members of the Order of Australia (AM) medals was something he had never expected but was proud to achieve.
“I was quite humbled to be recognised but also quite shocked,” he said.
Spending his life in the outdoors has made him passionate about educating young people who attend camps at Tinaroo Environmental Education Centre and at Scouts.
The centre hosts nature-based activity camps for about 5,000 students from Far North Queensland each year, fostering a love of the outdoors in the next generation.
“The best thing I picked up was the joys of sharing those skills with other people and mentoring them so that they can go on their own adventures,” he said.
“There is certainly an element of satisfaction seeing young people succeed and do things they probably would not have had the opportunity to do.”
John has been honoured with the Australian Corrections Medal, a prestigious recognition of his outstanding contributions to the field of corrections.
John began his career with Queensland Corrective Services (QCS) in 2004 as a Custodial Correctional Officer.
Over the past 19 years, he has demonstrated high levels of service and leadership, significantly impacting both the officers and prisoners at Lotus Glen Correctional Centre.
Throughout his career, John has taken on various roles that highlight his dedication to correctional services.
As a trade instructor, he provided essential skills and training to prisoners, helping them develop abilities that could assist in their rehabilitation and reintegration into society.
In 2018, John advanced to the role of Acting Correctional Supervisor, showcasing his leadership abilities and dedication to improving the correctional environment.
His permanent appointment to the role in 2019 further solidified his reputation as a capable and committed leader within the correctional system.
