Sydney Morning Herald January 1st 1939
A lengthy New Year’s Honour List for the Commonwealth including four Knighthoods was announced at Government House Canberra last night.
Of the 35 honours 13 were awarded to members of the Australian Defence Forces, five to members of the Public Service, two persons in Judicial Positions, two to Medical or Scientific Workers, three to Literary Figures, one to Commerce and 11 mostly minor honours for social service.
Despite the undue prominence of peace time awards to defence officers, the Honours List is somewhat redeemed by the increased attention to Literary Figures and of the three awards for literary worth, probably the most popular will be that of “Banjo” Paterson whose verse breathed a bush scented Australian atmosphere and sang of almost “forgotten men” of the outback.
Replica of A B Paterson’s CBE – Commander of the British Empire for Services to Literature