53-620: NSW Zoo Association (NSWZA) NSW Fauna and Marine Park Association (NSW FMPA) The Australian Reptile Park is located at Somersby on the Central Coast of New South Wales , Australia. It is about 71 kilometres (44 mi) north of Sydney , and is just off the M1 Pacific Motorway , near Gosford . The Park has one of the largest reptile collections in Australia, with close to 50 species on display. The wide variety of reptile species at
106-600: A bow on the left shoulder, although they may wear the same insignia as males if so desired. A gold lapel pin for daily wear is issued with each badge of the order at the time of investiture; AK/AD and AC lapel pins feature a citrine central jewel, AO and AM lapel pins have a blue enamelled centre and OAM lapel pins are plain. The different levels of the order are awarded according to the recipients' levels of achievement: Since 1976 any Australian citizen may nominate any person for an Order of Australia award. People who are not Australian citizens may be awarded honorary membership of
159-548: A challenge to take the prime ministership in September 2015. Two months after coming into office, the new republican prime minister announced that the Queen had approved his request to amend the Order's letters patent and cease awards at this level. Existing titles would not be affected. The move was attacked by monarchists and praised by republicans. The amendments to the constitution of
212-514: A full range of antivenoms. 1963 – "Ploddy" (originally named Dino), the dinosaur erected, the first of Australia's big things . 1968 – First nocturnal house in southern hemisphere opens. 1970 – Worrell receives MBE recognising his role in producing antivenom. 1970 – The Park begins providing funnel-web spider venom to Seqiris (formerly bioCSL) in the long process of developing an antivenom. 1972 – Captive breeding of cassowaries begins. 1980 – The long-awaited funnel-web spider antivenom
265-569: A member of the British Empire, members of the colonies and later federated nation of Australia were able to have achievement awarded under the British Imperial Honours system . However, existing criticism of the aristocratic nature of the awards grew following a cash-for-honours corruption scandal in the UK in 1922. Moves to abolish the awards federally and the states were unsuccessful; however
318-573: A representation of the states (with whom Whitlam's government was constantly in dispute) through the state badges within the Commonwealth Coat of Arms . The original three-level structure of the Order of Australia was modelled closely upon the Order of Canada , though the Order of Australia has been awarded rather more liberally, especially in regard to honorary awards to non-citizens. As of July 2024 only 30 non-Canadians have been appointed to
371-723: A semi-rural locality of the Central Coast region of New South Wales , Australia, to the northwest of Gosford along the Pacific Highway . It is part of the Central Coast Council local government area . Somersby includes sections of the Brisbane Water National Park , within which Somersby Falls are located, as well as the Mount Penang Parklands which are used as a festival and exhibition centre. The Woolshed Function Centre, Australian Reptile Park ,
424-583: A small industrial area near the Kariong Interchange, two juvenile justice centres, and a primary school are features of Somersby. Old Sydney Town , now defunct, was a popular tourist destination in Somersby. Somersby has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: St Francis of Assisi Catholic Church 33°21′54″S 151°17′06″E / 33.365°S 151.285°E / -33.365; 151.285 This Central Coast geography article
477-519: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II , Queen of Australia , on the advice of then prime minister Gough Whitlam . Before the establishment of the order, Australians could receive British honours , which continued to be issued in parallel until 1992. Appointments to
530-444: Is a convex golden disc decorated with citrines, with a blue royally crowned inner disc bearing an image of the coat of arms of Australia. The ribbon of the order is royal blue with a central stripe of mimosa blossoms. Awards in the military division are edged with 1.5 mm golden bands. AKs, male ACs and AOs wear their badges on a necklet and male AMs and OAMs wear them on a ribbon on the left chest. Women usually wear their badges on
583-434: Is a registered charity, whose stated purpose is "[t]o celebrate and promote outstanding Australian citizenship". It also supports the "community and social activities" of members and promotes and encourages the nomination of other Australians to the Order. The Order also runs a foundation that provides scholarships to tertiary students that show potential as future leaders and are involved in community activities. Branches of
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#1733092760968636-467: Is currently home to 250 venomous snakes that are a part of the venom program that are milked on a fortnightly basis. Focused judgement and great dexterity are needed to obtain snake venom from the venomous species of snakes found in Australia. Keepers at the Australian Reptile Park use two different techniques depending on the species of snake. Somersby, New South Wales Somersby is
689-553: Is likely to feel a bit second-rate, and the public is likely to agree. We hate to be the first to say it, but there is no doubt that the Order of Australia (OA) will be labelled as the Ocker Award. Satire and mockery also greeted the awards, being dubbed "Gough’s Gongs" and "the Order of the Wombat". The newly elected Liberal Fraser government decided to once again make recommendations for imperial awards, whilst maintaining and expanding
742-482: Is made available. 1985 – A management team, including future owners John and Robyn Weigel, is formed to steer the future of park, now named simply the Australian Reptile Park. 1987 – Worrell dies, aged 62. 1989 – 4.7-metre-long saltwater crocodile is imported from the Northern Territory on a special jet freighter, and named "Eric" in honour of Worrell. 1992 – John and Robyn Weigel become principal owners of
795-542: Is named "Conservationist of the Year" for 2015 by The Australian Geographic Society . 2016 – Tim Faulkner and Liz Gabriel named as co-directors alongside John and Robyn Weigel. 2018 – New Komodo dragon exhibit opened. Home to two Komodo dragons named Kraken and Daenerys. 2018 – Australian Reptile Park wins NSW State Business of the Year awarded by the NSW Business Chamber . 2019 – The Park wins Best Major Attraction at
848-478: The Australian Labor Party remained opposed and generally refused to recommend awards whilst in office, with this a part of the party's platform since 1918. This was confirmed in a resolution adopted unanimously by the party conference in 1921. However, the non-Labor parties remained supportive, with the long running Menzies government making significant use of the imperial system. The Order of Australia
901-725: The Barrington Tops that is now part of the larger Aussie Ark . 2013 – The Australian Reptile Park remains the sole supplier of terrestrial snake and funnel-web spider venom to Seqiris for the nation's antivenom program. Over its 60-year history, it is estimated that the Park has assisted in saving close to 20,000 lives. 2013 – In July, more than twenty reptiles were stolen from the Park. Lizards, geckos , snakes and one alligator were taken. A pair of Solomon Islands skinks were recovered in August. 2015 – Australian Reptile Park Director, Tim Faulkner,
954-474: The 435 people who have received the nation's top Order of Australia honours since they were first awarded in 1975, shows they disproportionately attended a handful of elite Victorian secondary schools. Scotch College alumni received the highest number of awards, with 19 former students receiving Australia's [then] highest honour". On 26 January 1980 the Order of Australia Association was created as an incorporated body with membership open to award recipients. It
1007-467: The NSW Tourism Awards. 2019 – A new exhibit, housing a pair of endangered Goodfellow's tree-kangaroos , is opened. 2022 – In April, three Komodo dragon babies are successfully hatched at the park, first Komodo dragons to be born in Australia. List of species Reptiles Amphibians Arachnids Birds Mammals A crocodile named Eric, born in 1947 in Australia's Northern Territory,
1060-418: The Order of Australia and the award of 199 Honorary Medals of the Order of Australia. Notable honorary awards include: Since 1975, just over 30 per cent of recipients of an Order of Australia honour have been women. The number of nominations and awards for women is trending up, with the 2023 Australia Day Honours resulting in the highest percentage of awards for women to date (47.1 per cent, 47.9 per cent in
1113-461: The Order of Australia is a convex disc (gold for AKs, ADs and ACs, gilt for AOs, AMs and OAMs) representing a single flower of mimosa . At the centre is a ring, representing the sea, with the word Australia below two branches of mimosa. The whole disc is topped by the Crown of St Edward . The AC badge is decorated with citrines , blue enamelled ring, and enamelled crown. The AO badge is similar, without
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#17330927609681166-578: The Order of Australia. This was done by with the addition of two additional award levels: Knight or Dame (AK or AD) above the level of Companion, and the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) below Members. The Civil Division was also renamed the General Division, so that awards could be given to those in the Defence Force for non-military achievement. These changes were made on 24 May 1976. The reaction to
1219-481: The Order of Canada, while 537 non-Australians have been appointed to the Order of Australia, with 46 to the Companion level. Public reaction to the new awards was mixed. Only the state Labor governments of Tasmania and South Australia agreed to submit recommendations for the new awards, with the remaining governments affirming their committent to the existing imperial honours system. Newspaper editorials similarly praised
1272-492: The Order were gazetted on 22 December 2015. Yvonne Kenny AM represented the Order at the 2023 Coronation . King Charles III , when he was Prince of Wales , was appointed a Knight of the Order of Australia (AK) on 14 March 1981. As he is not an Australian citizen, even though he was the heir to the Australian throne at the time, this would have required the award to be honorary. To overcome this issue, his appointment
1325-581: The Order would be determined by the Council of the Order of Australia. Awards of the Order of Australia are sometimes made to people who are not citizens of Australia to honour extraordinary achievements. These achievements, or the people themselves, are not necessarily associated with Australia, although they often are. On 1 July 2024, the Australian Honours website listed appointments for 46 Honorary Companions, 118 Honorary Officers, 174 Honorary Members of
1378-460: The Park includes snakes , lizards (such as Komodo dragons ), turtles , tortoises , tuataras , American alligators and crocodiles . In addition, the Park features Australian mammals such as kangaroos , wallabies , koalas , platypuses , Tasmanian devils , bare-nosed wombat , quokkas , echidnas , and dingoes . Australian birds featured include cassowaries . The park is heavily involved in snake and spider venom collection for use in
1431-431: The Park throughout each year for syllabus-based animal and conservation education. Since the 1960s, the Australian Reptile Park has been the sole supplier of terrestrial snake venom for the purpose of making antivenom. It is estimated that 300 lives are saved by antivenom in Australia each year and since the program's inception, approximately 20,000 Australian lives have been saved by the program. The Australian Reptile Park
1484-441: The Queen to reinstate the level of knight or dame and the Queen co-signed letters patent to bring this into effect. The change was publicly announced on 25 March, and gazetted on 17 April 2014. Up to four knights or dames could be appointed each year, by the Queen of Australia on the advice of the prime minister after consultation with the chairman of the Order of Australia Council. Five awards of knight and dame were then made, to
1537-506: The anti-venom manufacturing by the Commonwealth Serum Laboratories . 1955 – Ocean Beach Aquarium contributes to production of first antivenom to taipan envenomation. 1958 – Worrell moves his animal collection to Wyoming , a northern suburb of Gosford , and changes its name to Eric Worrell's Australian Reptile Park. 1959 – The Park first opens to the public on 3 October. 1962 – The Park contributes to availability of
1590-602: The area. His vet, Peter Nosworthy, believes age made him susceptible to the infection, while his size made it impossible to administer intensive care. At 5.6m long and 700 kg, Eric was the largest crocodile in New South Wales at the time of his death. A memorial to Eric is now at the rear of the park. Talks and presentations include Galápagos tortoise feedings, a reptile show, a Tasmanian devil talk, koala talk, spider talk, dingo talk, and alligator feeding. The Australian Reptile Park also take hundreds of school groups into
1643-553: The association are in all the states and territories of Australia as well as the UK and the USA. Total inductees as of July 2024 . The order of wearing Australian and other approved honours is determined by the government. The award is parodied in the play Amigos , where the central character is determined to be awarded the AC, and uses persuasion, bribery and blackmail in his (ultimately successful) attempts to get himself nominated for
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1696-498: The award to Prince Philip in a ReachTEL poll. The Australian Labor Party continued to oppose knighthoods and damehoods. Leader of the opposition Bill Shorten stated in March 2014 that the party would again discontinue the level if it were to win the next Australian federal election. The knighthood decision was a significant factor that caused Liberal party members to question Abbott's leadership, with Malcolm Turnbull succeeding in
1749-411: The awards as an example of Australia's greater independence, whilst also noting that the awards would likely appear second-rate. The Australian stated that There is no longer a British Empire; everyone knows that. But somehow the phrase "imperial honours" still carries a ring of regal authenticity that somehow transcends nationalism. For the time being a recipient ... of the Order of Australia
1802-530: The business, and make the decision to relocate the Park. 1996 – A parade is held in Gosford celebrating the relocation of Ploddy the dinosaur to its new home. Over 15,000 well-wishers lined the streets and cheered as Ploddy was ceremoniously transported from Wyoming to her new home in Somersby. 1996 – The Australian Reptile Park relocates to Somersby, NSW at a site adjacent to Old Sydney Town , and reopens on 7 September. 2000 – Just past midnight on 17 July, most of
1855-519: The changes to the awards were similarly split along party lines. Following the 1983 federal election , Labor Prime Minister Bob Hawke recommitted to the end of recommendations for imperial awards. No knighthoods were awarded during his first term in office and he advised the abolition of the knight/dame level after being re-elected in 1986. During the time the division was active from 1976 to 1983, twelve knights and two dames were created. On 19 March 2014, monarchist prime minister Tony Abbott advised
1908-525: The citrines. For the AM badge, only the crown is enamelled, and the OAM badge is plain. The AK/AD badge is similar to that of the AC badge, but with the difference that it contains at the centre an enamelled disc bearing an image of the coat of arms of Australia . The colours of royal blue and gold are taken from the livery colours of the Commonwealth Coat of Arms , the then national colours . The star for knights and dames
1961-458: The exception of awards recommended by the soon to be independent government of the Territory of Papua and New Guinea ); however this did not affect the constitutional right of state governments to recommend imperial awards. According to the governor general's then-secretary Sir David Smith , Whitlam was furious when he first saw Devlin's design for the insignia of the order, due to the inclusion of
2014-424: The fire. 2007 – A main attraction to the park, Eric the crocodile dies. He is replaced by Elvis, a 4.5 metre male saltwater crocodile. 2008 – Park Director, John Weigel, is awarded Member of the Order of Australia for his contribution to Australian Tourism and the production of snake and spider antivenoms. 2011 – John Weigel founds Devil Ark, a conservation breeding facility for the endangered Tasmanian devil in
2067-476: The general division). Advocacy groups such as Honour a Woman and the Workplace Gender Equality Agency have called for greater effort to be made to reach equal representation of men and women in the order. In December 2010, The Age reported a study of the educational backgrounds of all people who had received Knight/Dame and Companion level awards at that time. It reported: "An analysis of
2120-657: The governments of each respective state and territory, and three ex officio members (the chief of the Defence Force , the vice-president of the Federal Executive Council and a public servant responsible for honours policy). The Council chair as of August 2024 is Shelley Reys. The Council makes recommendations to the governor-general. Awards are announced on Australia Day and on the King's Birthday public holiday in June, on
2173-572: The governor-general to remove an individual from the order, who may cancel an award. Announcements of all awards, cancellations and resignations appear in the Commonwealth Gazette . Nomination forms are confidential and not covered by the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth) . The reasoning behind a nomination being successful or unsuccessful—and even the attendees of the meetings where such nominations are discussed—remains confidential. As
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2226-471: The heads of two female crocodiles with whom he was supposed to mate, and lost his right rear foot in a duel with a fellow crocodile. In 1989, he arrived by special freighter jet at the Australian Reptile Park and became a major attraction. He was named after the Park's founder Eric Worrell , who had died in 1987. Eric the crocodile died on 30 June 2007 from a systemic infection, exacerbated because staff couldn't treat him due to power outages caused by storms in
2279-433: The main park building was destroyed when a faulty electrical wiring caused a fire. Park staff helped fire crews, but ultimately, the building was lost along with most of the hundreds of reptiles and frogs that had been maintained in the building. With a lot of work from the staff, and support from the city and from other zoos around Australia, the zoo was able to re-open its doors on 9 September 2000, just over seven weeks after
2332-417: The occasion of a special announcement by the governor-general (usually honorary awards), and on the appointment of a new governor-general. The governor-general presents the order's insignia to new appointees. Appointments to the order may be made posthumously as long as a person was nominated for an award whilst they were still alive. Awardees may subsequently resign from the order, and the Council may advise
2385-473: The order are made by the governor-general , "with the approval of The Sovereign", according to recommendations made by the Council for the Order of Australia . Members of the government are not involved in the recommendation of appointments, other than for military and honorary awards. The King of Australia is the sovereign head of the order, and the governor-general is the principal companion and chancellor of
2438-649: The order at all levels. Nomination forms are submitted to the Director, Honours Secretariat, a position within the Office of the Official Secretary to the Governor-General of Australia , at Government House, Canberra , which are then forwarded to the Council for the Order of Australia . The council consists of 19 members: seven selected by the prime minister (described as "community representatives"), eight appointed by
2491-446: The order. The governor-general's official secretary , Paul Singer (appointed August 2018), is secretary of the order. The order is divided into a general and a military division. The five levels of appointment to the order in descending order of seniority are: Honorary awards at all levels may be made to non-citizens. These awards are made additional to the quotas. The order's insignia was designed by Stuart Devlin . The badge of
2544-453: The outgoing governor-general , Quentin Bryce ; her successor, Peter Cosgrove ; a recent chief of the Defence Force , Angus Houston ; a recent governor of New South Wales , Marie Bashir ; and Prince Philip . This last award was widely met with ridicule and dismay by many in the Australian media. The award was also heavily criticised in the community, with 72% disapproving and 12% in favour of
2597-672: The prime minister alone, rather than by the Council of the Order of Australia, as is the case with all lower levels of the order. In accordance with the statutes of 2014, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh , was created a Knight of the Order by letters patent signed by the Queen on 7 January 2015, on Abbott's advice. Prince Philip's knighthood was announced as part of the Australia Day Honours on 26 January 2015 and his appointment attracted criticism of what Abbott described as his "captain's call". Abbott responded by announcing that future recommendations for appointments as Knights and Dames of
2650-590: The production of antivenom and is credited for saving the lives of thousands. It is an institutional member of the Zoo and Aquarium Association . 1949 – The Park's founder Eric Worrell starts building Ocean Beach Aquarium at Umina Beach on the NSW central coast just north of Sydney. 1950 – Ocean Beach Aquarium opens to the public. The aquarium includes a variety of marine fish, juvenile crocodile and snake and lizard pits. Worrell begins his snake venom milking work to contribute to
2703-447: Was created by an amendment to the constitution of the Order of Australia by special letters patent signed by the Queen, on the recommendation of Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser . In March 2014 the knight and dame levels, which had been abolished in 1986 by Prime Minister Bob Hawke , were reintroduced to the Order of Australia by Tony Abbott . At the same time, Abbott announced that future appointments at this level would be recommended by
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#17330927609682756-498: Was established on 14 February 1975 by letters patent of Queen Elizabeth II , acting as Queen of Australia , and on the advice of the newly elected Labor prime minister , Gough Whitlam . The original order had three levels: Companion (AC), Officer (AO) and Member (AM) as well as two divisions: Civil Division and Military Division. Whitlam had previously announced in 1972 (on his third day in office) that his government would no longer nominate persons for British Imperial honours (with
2809-482: Was featured for many years at the park. He was a star attraction and had a fan club of over 10,000 members across the world. Every year, Eric consumed his own body weight in various animals such as chicken, goat and fish. Eric had been implicated in the disappearance of two indigenous children in the 1980s, and was captured for the safety of the community. He was first taken to Darwin Crocodile Farm , where he bit off
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