By Alana Mitchelson
Drouin optometrist John Farmer and Paralympic rugby gold medallist Jayden Warn have received well-deserved OAM honours this Australia Day.
Mr Farmer has for many years used his expertise in optometry to help the needy obtain affordable eye care, providing low-cost eye examinations and glasses to places where these services were otherwise unavailable.
He has lead much work overseas, with a focus on establishing vision centres in Papua New Guinea.
Twice a year Mr Farmer visits the country to teach ophthalmology trainees at Port Moresby General Hospital and the University of Papua New Guinea.
The Drouin resident was instrumental in establishing PNG Eye Care.
Since 2012, Mr Farmer has mentored optometry students working with Indigenous communities in North Western Australia.
He was named a Paul Harris Fellow by the Rotary Club of Drouin in 2000 and last year he was the recipient of a University of Melbourne Alumnus Award by the Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences.
Meanwhile, his fellow Drouin resident Jayden Warn has been honoured for his service to sport as a Paralympic gold medallist.
He helped lead the Steelers to victory at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games after they defeated Great Britain, Brazil, Canada and Japan to play their rivals, the United States in the gold medal wheelchair rugby match.
They became the first team in history to win consecutive Paralympic gold medals and a world championship in the space of just four years.
The 22-year-old’s other major achievements include being a silver medallist at the 2016 Canada Cup, gold medallist at the 2016 Japan Para Invitational Championships, silver medallist at the 2015 IWRF Asia/Oceania Zone Championships and gold medallist at the 2014 IWRF World Championships.
