King’s Birthday Honours: Gary Smith recognised for service to Indigenous community and education

For former corporate leader Gary Smith, reconciliation and education have played equally important roles in his life.

But it still came as a surprise to learn he had been named a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for his contribution to both — recognised for his “significant service to the Indigenous community of Western Australia and to education”.

“It was very surprising, it just came out of the blue,” he said.

Mr Smith said he felt “very honoured” to be recognised for his service to Indigenous people, when that was an aspect of his life that had given him “massive fulfilment”.

A former State chairman of accounting firm KPMG with decades of corporate experience, Mr Smith was appointed a co-chair of Reconciliation WA from 2017 to 2024.

The not-for-profit organisation is the peak body driving the reconciliation movement in WA.

Mr Smith has also served as a director for the WA Aboriginal Leadership Institute for nearly nine years.

“I tend to get into roles that actually have used my consulting and commercial and financial background,” he said.

“So being a bit of the back office support to make sure that the front office can do its job out in the community without worrying too much about sponsorships and grants and things like that.”

Reflecting his commitment to education, Mr Smith also served as Murdoch University’s chancellor for five years until he stepped down in 2023.

“Everything I do, I look at ... whether or not it’s got a strong sort of Indigenous engagement element to it, so that I can continue that journey and basically really have a greater fulfillment in my life by actually understanding more deeply how ancient our country is, how ancient the people are that looked after it.

“So I get a lot more out of than I put in.”

Mr Smith said he had grown up in the Victorian town of Geelong where he did not know any Aboriginal people.

It was only later in life, as part of his business roles, that he became more engaged and increasingly passionate in his support of First Nations people.

“I try every day to be a strong ally,” he said. “To do whatever I can to help stop oppression.”

“But in more recent times I’ve also seen the strength of Aboriginal people rising in terms of claiming their rights.”