HONOUR runs in the family of John Ingram who has been awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in this year's Australia Day awards announced on Sunday.
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The former Royal Australian Navy Commander received the award in the general division for "service to the refugee community".
His late father also received an OAM and, setting an example for his son, assisted many refugees in an honorary capacity after he was discharged from the army in 1946.
Coincidentally, the conferring of the OAM is 57 years to the day since Mr Ingram joined the navy in 1957. He said he recognises the important symbolism of the award in regard to the cause he has supported for decades.
He acknowledged the support and encouragement of wife Jan, and of the organisations and individuals he has been associated with, in an honorary capacity, in the refugee movement.
These include the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the American Red Cross and Indo Chinese Refugee Association (ICRA.)
He was surprised at the recognition and thanked his anonymous nominators.
"I am humbled, especially if those who prepared and submitted my nomination are former refugees."
Mr Ingram does, however, have mixed feelings as the award comes at a time when the refugee cause in Australia "has been blighted by political interference by both major parties in relation to so called 'asylum seekers'; by the dissemination of mischievous and misleading information in social media; and the use of naval personnel to enforce political actions contrary to the traditions of the sea".
He believes Australia is in breach of the obligations agreed to in the UNHCR charter and is concerned about internment in offshore detention centres of thousands of men, women and children who sought refuge in Australia.
Mr Ingram has offered an alternative plan to key politicians that maximises the benefits of scarce resources, would save "massive sums of money" and benefit infrastructure shortfalls in regional and remote Australia.
"Implementation would require leadership, vision and the political will to succeed.
He said the campaign to raise awareness of the harm "successive government policy has caused, is causing and will continue to cause not only to those seeking refuge, but to those naval men and women enforcing such harsh policies, and to our international reputation as a caring and considerate nation", will continue.
