May 14, 2021
Well-known Nanango GP Fred Morgan was officially presented on Tuesday with the Medal of the Order Of Australia (OAM) he was awarded in this year’s Australia Day Honours.
Dr Morgan was formally given the medal by Queensland Governor His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC at a special afternoon ceremony held at Government House in Brisbane.
Dr Morgan was accompanied to the event by his wife Marcia and close friends Cr Roz Frohloff, Barry Green and Audrey Kruger.
His OAM citation stated he was being recognised for his service to medicine as a general practitioner.
It also noted he had been a GP at the Nanango Medical Centre since 1981, was involved in the establishment of the Karinya Residential Care Home, is a former Queensland State Government Medical Officer and a member of the South Nanango Rural Fire Brigade.
The award is the second Dr Morgan received this year.
In the South Burnett’s 2021 Australia Day awards, Dr Morgan also received a Lifetime Achievement Award for his 40 years of service to the region.
After Tuesday’s ceremony, Dr Morgan and his party enjoyed an afternoon tea at Government House and then took a short tour of the grounds.
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Dr Fred Morgan was born in the South Burnett at Wondai and attended Stonelands State school.
He worked as a sugar chemist until he was 26 before starting his medical training in Edinburgh.
He arrived in Nanango more than 40 years ago.
One of his early achievements for the community was his leadership in the campaign to establish a retirement home for the Nanango district.
Dr Morgan helped launch a community fundraising campaign and gained the support of the then-Nanango Shire Council for the proposal.
Karinya was up and running by 1989, becoming an integral part of the community and helping local residents stay local during their older years.
Dr Morgan became the secretary of the management committee and his wife Marcia filled the public relations officer role.
When Karinya was taken over by Southern Cross Care, the money that had previously been donated by the Nanango community was returned to the now-South Burnett Regional Council and helped fund the cost of roads and infrastructure for Nanango’s Heritage Lodge project.
This joint project, which offers long-term housing for people with disabilities, was developed by South Burnett CTC with assistance from Heritage Nanango Community Funding.
Dr Morgan was also known and highly respected for his incredibly long working days at his surgery.
He would work from dawn until late at night, seven days a week.
His care also extended to home visits, a rare service these days, and “one-on-one” assistance for community members, such as carting pods of water or attaching a farm gate.
Dr Morgan sold his Fitzroy Street surgery in 2018 to move into retirement.
[Photos: Roz Frohloff]
Congratulations Fred. So well deserved.