2024 Moreton Bay College Medallist
Dr Kay Danes OAM

Dr. Danes has made a lifelong commitment to promoting Human Rights and Humanitarian Service. This commitment began early in her life, inspired by her missionary parents. Dr Danes uses her knowledge and influence to promote the fundamental principles of human rights, ensuring that the most vulnerable in our society are not forgotten.

However, what makes Dr. Danes’ work truly remarkable is how she lives out her beliefs every day. The Christian values of charity - love in action - and service above self are deeply woven into every aspect of her work. It is a powerful reminder that caring for others and working for their rights is not merely about policy or strategy, but about the values we hold dear.

In the world of human rights and humanitarian service, Dr. Danes is an example of a life lived in service to others. Her work is a beacon of hope, showing us that it is possible to live our values and make a significant impact in the world.

Since 2009, Dr Danes is a Rotarian. In 2022, she travelled to the Philippines to coordinate support for 100 pediatric heart surgeries and provided mental health first aid training to over 250 local community leaders. In 2021, Kay became an ambassador for Borderline Australia. Her philanthropic efforts led to the creation of “The Kay Danes Award for Overall Excellence”, an annual award recognising a teenager attending the Borderline Youth Camp. This award acknowledges significant personal and group development during their camp experience. For the past two years, Kay has secured funding to allow several youths to attend these camps.

From 2021, Kay was part of a group of international military veterans, aid workers and intelligence operators coordinating the security and evacuations of thousands of at-risk Afghans through Kabul international airport, and subsequently through overland routes to neighbouring countries when Afghanistan fell to the Taliban. Kay and her colleagues successfully appealed to the Australian Government for an historical change to its immigration instrument, expanding resettlement opportunities for previously excluded Afghans working with Australian missions in Afghanistan.

Dr Danes passionately advocates for Australian Defence Force (ADF) workplace reforms to improve arbitration processes and reduce legal redress claims that have put ADF members and Veterans at risk of suicide and self-harm. Her tireless work in this area has resulted in significantly influencing stakeholders and informed key recommendations to Government, Commissions, Conferences, Forums and Workshops. By spotlighting these crucial issues, Dr Danes initiates essential conversations aimed at saving lives and reputations. Her submission to the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force (IGADF) Twenty Year Review in November 2023 is an impressive document. It argued for much needed reforms to the IGADF Inquiry Process and identified critical flaws in the current arbitration system. Dr Danes’ advocacy in this area is widely recognised and respected by members of the ADF and Veteran community and general population more broadly.

In 2023, Dr Danes was the principal author of several complex submissions to the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. She took an active role in proposing a new ‘oversight entity’ aimed at promoting the wellbeing of ADF members and veterans. Her advocacy continues to lead reform efforts to support governance and service provisions that affect service personnel, post service veterans and their families and to identify, investigate and promote pathways for change across whole of government jurisdictions. Dr Danes was a principal co-author, with Dr Glenn Kolomeitz, of an historic legal brief submitted to The Hague (15 June 2023) in respect to investigations into allegations of war crimes by Australian soldiers. The purpose of the submission was to ensure Australia’s legal system remained robust and accountable.

Dr Danes’ involvement and expertise in the Defence and Veteran sector span over four decades. During this period, she has served in numerous pivotal leadership roles on boards and committees, including her term as the former President of Army Families (WA) Inc. In this role, Dr Danes established crucial wellbeing programs to connect and aid defence families relocated to Western Australia. This initiative led to a collaboration among Army, Navy, and Airforce families, marking one of the earliest instances of unified ‘tri-service family welfare collaboration’. Her unwavering commitment to the ADF and Veteran community has been not only enduring but also truly inspiring. Her contributions have made a significant impact, offering hope and resilience to those she represents.

The inspiring stories of many of our recipients can be viewed on the Our Graduates page.

MBC Medal recipients

2024 - Dr Kay Danes OAM

2023 - Elizabeth Morgan-Brett Oly

2022 - Honourable Anika Wells MP

2021 - Miss Oriel Handley OAM

2020 - Dr Alex Schumann-Gillett

2019 – Sister Melissa Dwyer

2018 - Ms Shannon Parry OAM

2017 - Ms Brooke Connell

2016 - Ms Melissa Anderson

2015 - Dr Jillian Charker (nee Smythe)

2014 - Dr Cheryl Desha

2013 - Mrs Jessie Vasey, OBE, CBE (nee Halbert)

2012 - Mrs Judy James (nee Emmerson)

2011 - Ms Annette Allison

2010 - Dr Valerie Looi

2009 - Dr Natasha Hendrick, Mrs Bronwyn Herbert (nee Irvine)

2008 - Mrs Joy Nugent (nee McClintock)

2007 - Mrs Shirley Weder (nee Woods)

2006 - Ms Donna Duggan

2005 - Mrs Bobby Connelly (nee Searle)

2004 - The Honourable Dame Quentin Bryce AD CVO (nee Strachan)