Sue McDougall Awarded Medal of the Order of Australia
The Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority is proud to announce that Sue McDougall, Director of the Western Australian Botanic Garden, has been awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the 2025 King’s Birthday Honours.
With more than 40 years of experience as a qualified horticulturist and landscape architect, Ms McDougall is a well-known figure in Western Australia, widely recognised for her work in conservation horticulture and her public advocacy for native flora through media, events, and education.
The Award recognised Ms McDougall’s longstanding service to horticulture through media roles. Beyond her leadership at Kings Park, Ms McDougall has inspired thousands of home gardeners, landscape professionals, and local governments through her long-standing media presence, including decades at talkback radio and her role as a presenter on The Garden Gurus.
As a Director at Kings Park, Ms McDougall has led a diverse team of expert horticulturists across the nursery, gardens, seed conservation and arboriculture, and been the face of the Park in proactive media engagement advocating for native flora, resilient landscapes and the botanic garden as a centre for research and conservation.
Ms McDougall has been instrumental in growing public engagement with Kings Park through workshops, education, events and outreach.
She also was a driving force, together with Kings Park Science, in the formulation and implementation of Kings Park’s first Ex-Situ Conservation Strategy – a 20-year framework to guide the development, management, and use of collections for scientific research, public education, conservation, outreach and a world class botanic garden.
Ms McDougall has also played a key role in proactive education - through the media and at Kings Park - on major environmental challenges such as dieback, climate change, and the polyphagous shot hole borer.
“This honour is fantastic recognition and a true acknowledgement of the incredible work Sue has undertaken throughout her career to promote and support conservation horticulture,” said Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority Executive Director Morgan Marsh.
“We’re delighted that Sue’s longstanding efforts to champion Western Australian flora in the media has been recognised and also acknowledge the significant impact she has made in conservation and advocacy in her role at Kings Park.”
