Joy Connor OAM

Joy Connor OAM was recognised for her many years of work in social justice, driven by her passion for showing care and kindness to help the world be a better place.  

Ms Connor is a founding member and former chair of the Blue Mountains Refugee Support Group, where she remains a member of multiple working groups.  

She is also a leader and member of Wellspring Community, which aims to create a place for spirituality and justice within relationships between First Nations communities and others.  

Joy Connor OAM was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for service to the community through social welfare organisations.  

“My family was always very keen on doing public service ... my grandfathers and my father were involved in [the] community and church, and I’ve always had a sense that one thing that made life worth living was helping others and doing unto others as you’d have them do to you,” she explains.  

“The suffragettes used to reckon everyone needed bread and roses, bread meaning good housing and decent food and roses meant having beautiful things around them. 

“That’s the kind of world I’d like to try and [achieve] for everyone.” 

Ms Connor also worked in numerous church organisations, including as former deputy chair of Baptist World Aid Australia, NSW Baptist Union, the NSW Council of Churches, and was a founding supporter and advocate for the Aboriginal and Islander Baptist Council of Australia.  

She is also the founding member of the Petersham Residents Group and was the secretary of the TAFE Teachers’ Federation – Blue Mountains Branch.  

Ms Connor says her work has been motivated by one major contributing factor.  

“I’m actually one of those people who is not very good at working on anything unless I really believe in it,” she says.  

“I think the lovely thing about these awards is ... the recognition [for people] who do things in small towns across Australia or big towns and care about others, because really, for the world to be a better place, we all have to actually care about it. 

“I don’t think people realise that it's not money that makes the world go around, but it’s relationships and kindness and love and connection that makes the world happier ... we need to actually celebrate good people who do good things.”