Monday marked a proud moment for Mary Jo Fortuna of Rushworth, who will be awarded an Order of Australia medal.

She was among 771 Australians listed on this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours List for her service to the community and to tertiary education. 

Dr Fortuna said she was shocked to learn she had been nominated for the award.

“I thought, ‘How on Earth did people manage to do this… and without me knowing?’” she said.

She thanked those responsible for taking the effort to do it, and noted there were many others in the community deserving of such recognition.  

Dr Fortuna’s long list of accomplishments includes editing and publishing a community newspaper, the Waranga News, since its inception in 1978.

She was a faculty co-ordinator and sociology lecturer at La Trobe University in Shepparton, and is an honourary associate at the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Commerce. 

Dr Fortuna has also spent some time at the Bendigo campus. 

She is passionate about giving people access to information and a voice to share their insights and experiences – values that have propelled her career as a tertiary teacher and as an editor.