Macular Disease Foundation Australia patron, Ita Buttrose has been awarded a Companion of the Order for her service to the community through leadership in the media, the arts, the health sector and as a role model.
Ms Buttrose has been the recipient of an Order of Australia honour, is an Officer of the British Empire and was the 2013 Australian of the Year.
“It’s a very nice feeling to have your career, your work, your contribution in the arts and health recognised in this way,” she said in an article published by the ABC.1
“It’s not something you expect to happen but when it does happen, it’s a very nice feeling.” 1
Having commenced her career as a writer for the Australia Women’s Weekly Ms Buttrose became the first female editor of an Australian newspaper and the first woman to be appointed to the board of News Limited. The Patron of Macular Disease Foundation Australia since 2005,2 she has also worked as an advocate for Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, arthritis, cancers and HIV/AIDS.
In 2019 she was appointed ABC chair by Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
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