Softball Australia is pleased to recognise and congratulate Ngaire Huston, Kay Thompson, and Barbara Morris for being awarded the Order of Australia Medal for their services to softball.

The announcement was made as part of the Australia Day 2022 Honours List, which recognised 1040 Australians for their achievements. Appointments to the Order of Australia confer the highest recognition for outstanding accomplishments and service in the Australian honours system.

All three OAM’s are for Service to Softball in the General Division of the Order of Australia.

Ngaire Huston (QLD) has been a member of the National Scoring Committee since 1995, and the National Chief Statistician at Softball Australia since 2012. She has been National Team Statistician for numerous teams since 1994, and since 2005 has been a member of the National Quality Assurance Committee. At Softball Queensland, Ngaire has been State Team Statistician for 17 years, and a State Director for Scoring for 9 years. The Queensland Statistician of the Year is named in her honour. Ngarie is a Life Member and Hall of Fame inductee of both Softball Australia and Softball Queensland.

The full list of Ngaire’s accomplishments can be read here.

Kay Thompson (NSW) formerly sat on the Softball Australia Board from 1988-1993, and was a Nationally Accredited Umpire from 1984-1989. At the state and association level, she was President of Softball NSW for 14 years from 1988-2002, Secretary of the Softball NSW Umpires Association from 1983-1988, and the President of Illawarra District Softball Association for 14 years from 1978-1992. Kay is a Life Member of both Softball NSW and the Softball NSW Umpires Association, and was a member of the Organising Committee for the Under-19 Men's International Softball World Championships in 2001.

The full list of Kay’s accomplishments can be read here.

Barbara Morris (QLD) has given more than 50 years of service as a Board member to the Maryborough Softball Association, serving in all executive roles over that time, and awarded Life Membership in 1981. Just as impressively, Barbara held the position of President at Incas Softball Club for 47 years, and was awarded Life Membership there in 2006 before being inducted into their Hall of Fame in 2020. Barbara was awarded a Softball Queensland Service Award in 1991, and recognised as Softball Queensland Administrator of the Year in 2015. She also won the QSport Service to Sport Award in 2010, the Fraser Coast Regional Council Sport Administrator of the Year in 2006, and a Softball Australia Service Award in 2008.

The full list of Barbara’s accomplishments can be read here.

Softball in Australia is indebted to Ngaire, Kay, and Barbara, and the OAM is justified recognition of their accomplishments. Softball Australia again congratulates them for their dedication and service to the sport.

Click here to read more about the Australia Day 2022 Honours List.