June 8, 2026 • 12 mins
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
We know that over the course of weekend it was
a busy, long weekend. We know plenty of things to do,
but the King's Birthday is also a chance to pay
tribute to territory ands who've made a significant contribution to
the Northern Territory. And this year's honors recognize seventeen remarkable
individuals whose service, leadership and dedication have helped to shape communities,
(00:23):
industries and lives across the Northern Territory. Now we know
that the Office of the Order of Australia well missus
or Miss Patricia Turner Ao was recognized, the Member of
the Order of Australia, Mister Steve Margedick, Mister Neil Westbury,
and we know the Medal of the Order of Australia
(00:44):
Well the late doctor Annette Burke, as well as mister
Justin Coleman, Mister Richard Giles, Mister Richard Griffiths, mister David Milne,
mister Allan Mitchell were all recognized, and the Public Service Medal,
Doctor Wayne Besweick was recognized and the Australian Police Medal
Superintendent Mark Greeve, Australian Fire Service Medal Mss Diane Tynan
(01:09):
who we've had on the show before. She was our
Territorian of the of the Month not so long ago.
The Australian Corrections Medal, Miss Michelle Pennington and Captain Bernadette
Alexander was also recognized for the Service Cross, as were
Warrant Officer Class one SONA Francis, Captain Aaron Whirfel and
(01:31):
Sergeant or Sergeant I should say our lawson alex So
some incredible territorians recognized and one of those honored yesterday
was the late doctor Annette Burke. Now she's been posthumously
awarded an OIM for service to the community through a
range of organizations. And as we know, doctor Burke passed
(01:53):
away in April. But to pay tribute to her is
her husband Dennis, who joins me in the studio. Dennis,
thank you so much for your time this morning. It's
lovely to have you in the studio.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Now.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
I know it would be incredibly difficult to talk about
someone you love so dearly and so recently lost, but
I imagine that you are so very proud of your wife.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
I love it to death and terribly proud of her.
She would want me to come here and do this.
I mean, it's easy to say, but I know that
she'd want be to comant yeah and do this, So
it's a pleasure in honor to do it for Tell me.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
About your wife's service to the community, because I mean,
you both serve the community so heavily.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
Over the years.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
But tell me about, you know, some of the different
roles she helped.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Well, if you talk about her service to the community,
first of all, you've got to go to the what
what is in that burke And she brought to everything
she did what were her inherent qualities, and that was
she was unbelievably optimistic, unbelievably positive, very disciplined, very organized,
and when we arrived in Palmerston as an army family,
(03:11):
she quickly saw the opportunity and the challenges of being
involved in the Palmestan community. And I think undoubtedly her
legacy overall to Palmerston and to the Northern Territories that
she gave those qualities to the community at that time,
which they needed. I mean, it was the growing community,
It had a lot of criticisms, and what she did
was she gave it a real sense of pride. She
(03:34):
talked it up at every opportunity. She was an incredibly
active and effective mayor. I spoke to a long term
public servant I won't name him, who said he'd worked
for lots and lots of mayors. He said, but she
was by father best, he said, because the kids used
to walk around following and seeking her out in the
(03:54):
shopping centers and in many ways the kids knew the
mayor more than the adults did. But she was just
that sort of person. She just loved every minute of it.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
What were some of the things that she did when
she was the mayor of Palmerston that she might have
been most proud of if you reckon well.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
I think one thing was she established the Red Chilia Park,
which was the first, the only Territori and who was
killed in Vietnam. She established that park. She said, Meg
to think all the Beacon Foundation, which basically worked at
Palmerston High School trying to keep kids at school, passed
(04:30):
to get them as far as possible to HSC level
and in doing that gave them various projects to keep
them involved not in the school but also in academia.
So that was an Australia wide foundation. She put Palmerston
on the map in terms of adopted Park, which was
a wonderful and nationally recognized project she did, which is
(04:50):
still carrying on out there. And Territory Trida Towns was
another area where Parmeson won on a number of occasions
and she was heavily involved and Territory Tidy Towns, you know.
Apart from that, she was on the Prime Minister's Advisory
Council for Women for many years. She was on the
on the Cancer Council of the Northern Territory as chair
(05:11):
for years. She was on the Australian Board of the
Cancer Council. She was involved everywhere.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
It's a lot, isn't it Like it's she's she really has,
you know, done so much service for the community in
so many different ways.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
Yeah, she was just a she was a standout personality.
She as I said, she she saw everything from a
positive point of view. She had she had a thing
that was really you know, what is easily passed off
nowadays is just a word, but integrity was very important.
She never crossed anyone. She she was a person of
her word. Her word was her bond. She expected the
(05:45):
same from others. She could be pretty tough and but
as I said, she she she did everything she could
not only for her community, but for a family and
and in academia. She she started off in part of
the awarders for that as well. I mean she started
off as a tutor teaching English as a second language
at Charles Darwin University. And one of the wonderful accolades
(06:10):
given her was from Two's Garden Two's mangas one of
the biggest manga girls in a in Australia now credits
and with giving her, you know, a real motivation to
get involved just lovely.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
I know too, listens to the show as well, and
she's she's an incredible woman who's having.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
A big hug the other night. And her relationship with
a net never faltered, you know she and that was
the way, and it was with people.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
Yeah, I had that real love for people and and
I love what you said, you know, that integrity as well,
and treated people the way that she want to be treated.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
As I said, she could be pretty tough. She was
fairly uncompromising with staff if they didn't live up to
her expectations. But she's the same with kids and the
same with me too. So and Leah Leah did a
wonderful accolade tour as well. And I think Leah would
be the first to say that part of her spark
of involvement in politics was watching the mayor as a
(07:07):
kid at Schooldy Parmeston.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
And look to those out there listening who aren't aware,
the later net Burke is indeed our chief Minister. Leah
fan Or Guirero's mother in law. And I know that
she you know, she paid beautiful tribute to your wife
as well when she passed. And Dennis, you know, the
thing that really stood out to me is we know
that Annette has done so much in terms of her
(07:29):
service to the community. But what really stood out to
me in the statement that Leah had made is her
love for her family and her love for her grandchildren.
And she said that you know that the treasure hunts
were something you know that were absolutely loved by the kids.
Tell me what she was like as a grandma and
as a mom.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
Well, as I said, you never got a reward until
he put in the effort and the kid after my own. Yeah,
in fact, I was going to say she and You've
got very similar bodies and Lea, but but yeah, the kids,
the kids used to really look forward to coming around
and the treasure hunt and also there was quizzes, so
they had they had all sorts of questions to answer
(08:10):
before they could get the rewards. And in fact, it
was a sad day when when that when the disease started,
this blood disease started to take over and it couldn't
do any more treasure hunts. And she really had a
bit of a cry.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
Yeah, oh, Dennis, I know it's so tough for you
to be able to come and speak about your beautiful wife,
but do you know what she'd be so proud of you,
and I know that your your boys would be as well.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
Well. It's not easy boys, yeah, and and they carry
their mother's qualities quite truly.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
Deeping Pine Lands is messaged in and she said, oh,
mister Burke, hearing your grief made me cry. Sincere condolences
to you, mate, that one from dead. And look, a
lot of people know your beautiful wife and and I'm
sure have some really fond memories as well. Tell me
she was recognized, I'm not too long before her passing
(09:02):
as well, wasn't she by the university.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
I got a I'm forever thankful to the Vice to
the Chancellor and Vice chancellor for they came to our
house and they did a special presentation to give her
a doctorate. Because she's been long involved in the university
and she helped establish not establish it, but she certainly
encouraged the campus and the Palmestan campus. She's been involved
in the university council and foundation board all through her
(09:27):
time in the territory. And also, as I said, she
was a tutor there, she was a student, she did
a doctorate and also at a she started a doctorate.
She got a master's also at charles Dale University. But yeah,
they came to our house and they had the most wonderful, personal,
moving ceremony and that was very very sick, but also
(09:47):
so proud as she sat there. It was just a
lovely thing and I'm indebted to them for that.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
That's a beautiful thing to do. Tell me, how do
you reckon she'd feel about being honored in this way.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
Well, she'd be very crowd and I'm just so sad
that she's not here, you know, to see it. But
her legacy is the work she did over many many years.
And the funeral service was packed at the cathedral and
it was so incredible, like that's a long time ago,
a lot of this stuff and the fact that so
(10:20):
many Territorians came out to respect and honor it was
just so wonderful. And I think her legacy is is
that that people remember the positivity she brought to everything
she did and they came and acknowledged her for that. Well.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
And there's that old saying that people will forget what
you say, they'll forget what you do, but they'll never
forget how you make them feel. And she obviously made
people feel, you know, a really positive way. And the
people of Palmerston, Oh, there.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
Was no such thing as you know, being pessimistic with her,
that there was no She was brought up that way
she was. She was brought up to achieve. She was.
She was a champion state swimmer in New South Wales.
She she was always told by her parents that nothing
is impossible. Some things just a little bit harder. And
I think that's what rocked her at the end, that
this evil disease it just beat her in the end,
(11:06):
and you know, it was so sad to watch that
she'd met something she couldn't beat.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
Oh, Dennis, my heart breaks for you, mate. I've seen
you know as you know, I saw my dad die
in such a terrible way to you know, to something
that he couldn't beat. I know that Kathleen listening this morning,
is in the same situation with her mum. It's really hard, right,
and it's really hard to talk about the people that
(11:32):
you love as well. But you know, she'd be so
proud of you sitting in this chair this morning and
speaking so fondly of her, and what a proud wife
she would have been.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
Well, I'm a very proud husband. I love her to death,
and I'll just continue to try and live the life
and be the person she loved.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
Mate, thank you so much for coming into the studio
this morning and speaking so beautifully about your wife, and
a massive congratulations to her.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
Oh.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
I think it's really important that people are recognized for
their incredible service to the community and and you know,
if you look at everything she's done, it's absolutely deserved.
Dennis Burke, thank you so much for your time. I
really appreciate it.
We know that over the course of weekend it was
a busy, long weekend. We know plenty of things to do,
but the King's Birthday is also a chance to pay
tribute to territory ands who've made a significant contribution to
the Northern Territory. And this year's honors recognize seventeen remarkable
individuals whose service, leadership and dedication have helped to shape communities,
(00:23):
industries and lives across the Northern Territory. Now we know
that the Office of the Order of Australia well missus
or Miss Patricia Turner Ao was recognized, the Member of
the Order of Australia, Mister Steve Margedick, Mister Neil Westbury,
and we know the Medal of the Order of Australia
(00:44):
Well the late doctor Annette Burke, as well as mister
Justin Coleman, Mister Richard Giles, Mister Richard Griffiths, mister David Milne,
mister Allan Mitchell were all recognized, and the Public Service Medal,
Doctor Wayne Besweick was recognized and the Australian Police Medal
Superintendent Mark Greeve, Australian Fire Service Medal Mss Diane Tynan
(01:09):
who we've had on the show before. She was our
Territorian of the of the Month not so long ago.
The Australian Corrections Medal, Miss Michelle Pennington and Captain Bernadette
Alexander was also recognized for the Service Cross, as were
Warrant Officer Class one SONA Francis, Captain Aaron Whirfel and
(01:31):
Sergeant or Sergeant I should say our lawson alex So
some incredible territorians recognized and one of those honored yesterday
was the late doctor Annette Burke. Now she's been posthumously
awarded an OIM for service to the community through a
range of organizations. And as we know, doctor Burke passed
(01:53):
away in April. But to pay tribute to her is
her husband Dennis, who joins me in the studio. Dennis,
thank you so much for your time this morning. It's
lovely to have you in the studio.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Now.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
I know it would be incredibly difficult to talk about
someone you love so dearly and so recently lost, but
I imagine that you are so very proud of your wife.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
I love it to death and terribly proud of her.
She would want me to come here and do this.
I mean, it's easy to say, but I know that
she'd want be to comant yeah and do this, So
it's a pleasure in honor to do it for Tell me.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
About your wife's service to the community, because I mean,
you both serve the community so heavily.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
Over the years.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
But tell me about, you know, some of the different
roles she helped.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Well, if you talk about her service to the community,
first of all, you've got to go to the what
what is in that burke And she brought to everything
she did what were her inherent qualities, and that was
she was unbelievably optimistic, unbelievably positive, very disciplined, very organized,
and when we arrived in Palmerston as an army family,
(03:11):
she quickly saw the opportunity and the challenges of being
involved in the Palmestan community. And I think undoubtedly her
legacy overall to Palmerston and to the Northern Territories that
she gave those qualities to the community at that time,
which they needed. I mean, it was the growing community,
It had a lot of criticisms, and what she did
was she gave it a real sense of pride. She
(03:34):
talked it up at every opportunity. She was an incredibly
active and effective mayor. I spoke to a long term
public servant I won't name him, who said he'd worked
for lots and lots of mayors. He said, but she
was by father best, he said, because the kids used
to walk around following and seeking her out in the
(03:54):
shopping centers and in many ways the kids knew the
mayor more than the adults did. But she was just
that sort of person. She just loved every minute of it.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
What were some of the things that she did when
she was the mayor of Palmerston that she might have
been most proud of if you reckon well.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
I think one thing was she established the Red Chilia Park,
which was the first, the only Territori and who was
killed in Vietnam. She established that park. She said, Meg
to think all the Beacon Foundation, which basically worked at
Palmerston High School trying to keep kids at school, passed
(04:30):
to get them as far as possible to HSC level
and in doing that gave them various projects to keep
them involved not in the school but also in academia.
So that was an Australia wide foundation. She put Palmerston
on the map in terms of adopted Park, which was
a wonderful and nationally recognized project she did, which is
(04:50):
still carrying on out there. And Territory Trida Towns was
another area where Parmeson won on a number of occasions
and she was heavily involved and Territory Tidy Towns, you know.
Apart from that, she was on the Prime Minister's Advisory
Council for Women for many years. She was on the
on the Cancer Council of the Northern Territory as chair
(05:11):
for years. She was on the Australian Board of the
Cancer Council. She was involved everywhere.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
It's a lot, isn't it Like it's she's she really has,
you know, done so much service for the community in
so many different ways.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
Yeah, she was just a she was a standout personality.
She as I said, she she saw everything from a
positive point of view. She had she had a thing
that was really you know, what is easily passed off
nowadays is just a word, but integrity was very important.
She never crossed anyone. She she was a person of
her word. Her word was her bond. She expected the
(05:45):
same from others. She could be pretty tough and but
as I said, she she she did everything she could
not only for her community, but for a family and
and in academia. She she started off in part of
the awarders for that as well. I mean she started
off as a tutor teaching English as a second language
at Charles Darwin University. And one of the wonderful accolades
(06:10):
given her was from Two's Garden Two's mangas one of
the biggest manga girls in a in Australia now credits
and with giving her, you know, a real motivation to
get involved just lovely.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
I know too, listens to the show as well, and
she's she's an incredible woman who's having.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
A big hug the other night. And her relationship with
a net never faltered, you know she and that was
the way, and it was with people.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
Yeah, I had that real love for people and and
I love what you said, you know, that integrity as well,
and treated people the way that she want to be treated.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
As I said, she could be pretty tough. She was
fairly uncompromising with staff if they didn't live up to
her expectations. But she's the same with kids and the
same with me too. So and Leah Leah did a
wonderful accolade tour as well. And I think Leah would
be the first to say that part of her spark
of involvement in politics was watching the mayor as a
(07:07):
kid at Schooldy Parmeston.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
And look to those out there listening who aren't aware,
the later net Burke is indeed our chief Minister. Leah
fan Or Guirero's mother in law. And I know that
she you know, she paid beautiful tribute to your wife
as well when she passed. And Dennis, you know, the
thing that really stood out to me is we know
that Annette has done so much in terms of her
(07:29):
service to the community. But what really stood out to
me in the statement that Leah had made is her
love for her family and her love for her grandchildren.
And she said that you know that the treasure hunts
were something you know that were absolutely loved by the kids.
Tell me what she was like as a grandma and
as a mom.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
Well, as I said, you never got a reward until
he put in the effort and the kid after my own. Yeah,
in fact, I was going to say she and You've
got very similar bodies and Lea, but but yeah, the kids,
the kids used to really look forward to coming around
and the treasure hunt and also there was quizzes, so
they had they had all sorts of questions to answer
(08:10):
before they could get the rewards. And in fact, it
was a sad day when when that when the disease started,
this blood disease started to take over and it couldn't
do any more treasure hunts. And she really had a
bit of a cry.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
Yeah, oh, Dennis, I know it's so tough for you
to be able to come and speak about your beautiful wife,
but do you know what she'd be so proud of you,
and I know that your your boys would be as well.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
Well. It's not easy boys, yeah, and and they carry
their mother's qualities quite truly.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
Deeping Pine Lands is messaged in and she said, oh,
mister Burke, hearing your grief made me cry. Sincere condolences
to you, mate, that one from dead. And look, a
lot of people know your beautiful wife and and I'm
sure have some really fond memories as well. Tell me
she was recognized, I'm not too long before her passing
(09:02):
as well, wasn't she by the university.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
I got a I'm forever thankful to the Vice to
the Chancellor and Vice chancellor for they came to our
house and they did a special presentation to give her
a doctorate. Because she's been long involved in the university
and she helped establish not establish it, but she certainly
encouraged the campus and the Palmestan campus. She's been involved
in the university council and foundation board all through her
(09:27):
time in the territory. And also, as I said, she
was a tutor there, she was a student, she did
a doctorate and also at a she started a doctorate.
She got a master's also at charles Dale University. But yeah,
they came to our house and they had the most wonderful, personal,
moving ceremony and that was very very sick, but also
(09:47):
so proud as she sat there. It was just a
lovely thing and I'm indebted to them for that.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
That's a beautiful thing to do. Tell me, how do
you reckon she'd feel about being honored in this way.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
Well, she'd be very crowd and I'm just so sad
that she's not here, you know, to see it. But
her legacy is the work she did over many many years.
And the funeral service was packed at the cathedral and
it was so incredible, like that's a long time ago,
a lot of this stuff and the fact that so
(10:20):
many Territorians came out to respect and honor it was
just so wonderful. And I think her legacy is is
that that people remember the positivity she brought to everything
she did and they came and acknowledged her for that. Well.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
And there's that old saying that people will forget what
you say, they'll forget what you do, but they'll never
forget how you make them feel. And she obviously made
people feel, you know, a really positive way. And the
people of Palmerston, Oh, there.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
Was no such thing as you know, being pessimistic with her,
that there was no She was brought up that way
she was. She was brought up to achieve. She was.
She was a champion state swimmer in New South Wales.
She she was always told by her parents that nothing
is impossible. Some things just a little bit harder. And
I think that's what rocked her at the end, that
this evil disease it just beat her in the end,
(11:06):
and you know, it was so sad to watch that
she'd met something she couldn't beat.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
Oh, Dennis, my heart breaks for you, mate. I've seen
you know as you know, I saw my dad die
in such a terrible way to you know, to something
that he couldn't beat. I know that Kathleen listening this morning,
is in the same situation with her mum. It's really hard, right,
and it's really hard to talk about the people that
(11:32):
you love as well. But you know, she'd be so
proud of you sitting in this chair this morning and
speaking so fondly of her, and what a proud wife
she would have been.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
Well, I'm a very proud husband. I love her to death,
and I'll just continue to try and live the life
and be the person she loved.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
Mate, thank you so much for coming into the studio
this morning and speaking so beautifully about your wife, and
a massive congratulations to her.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
Oh.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
I think it's really important that people are recognized for
their incredible service to the community and and you know,
if you look at everything she's done, it's absolutely deserved.
Dennis Burke, thank you so much for your time. I
really appreciate it.
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