Thursday, January 27, 2011

Australia Day Honours to three dentists.

Dr Jamie Robertson has been recognised in this year’s Australia Day Honours for his service to dentistry and providing dental health programs in Asia.
He was made a Member of the Order of Australia. The official citation says: “For service to dentistry and to international humanitarian aid through the delivery of dental health programs in Asia”.
Dr Robertson, of Altona, started his overseas humanitarian work in 1983 when he spent two months as a Rotary volunteer in a Vietnamese refugee camp In the Philippines. Next he led a dental team to a Tibetan refugee community in northern Indian. He joined a medical group invited to Vietnam in 1991. Since 1994 Dr Robertson has taken a team of covering all aspects of dentistry to Vietnam. Rotary clubs provide support for these annual visits. His work with the ADAVB has been primarily through our archive function, and he is currently helping the Branch in recording oral history interviews with various senior members. He received an Award for Distinguished Service from the Branch in 1998 in recognition of this and other contributions to the profession.
Dr Robertson has held a variety of other significant roles, notably as a Board member at the Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne and Dental Health Services Victoria, and as President of the Footscray Rotary Club (which was quite significant in supporting his overseas aid work). He has also served as President (Victorian Branch) of the Australian-New Zealand Society of Pediatric Dentistry and the (Victorian Branch) Society of Dental Anaesthesiology.
Two other dentists were also honoured. ADA Inc. Councillor Dr Terry Pitsikas, of WA, was also made a Member of the Order of Australia “for service to dentistry, particularly through executive roles with a range of professional organisations, and to education”.
Sydney dentist Dr Anthony Zahra was honoured with the Medal of the Order of Australia “for service to dentistry, and to the community”.