COUNCILLOR Chris Gryllis’s long-held passion for Papua New Guinea was rewarded, last Thursday when he received the Logohu Medal (LM) in the PNG Independence Honours List.
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As chair of Orange City Council’s sister city committee for almost 20 years, Cr Gryllis has travelled to Mount Hagen in PNG’s western highlands more than seven times at his own expense, and has hosted 15 delegations of Papua New Guineans in Orange.
Cr Gryllis said the honour was for the entire Orange City Council and the long-term involvement helping out its sister council in Mount Hagen.
“I’m very honoured and really it’s very humbling,” he said.
“Although I got the medal, this is an indication of how high in regard Papua New Guinea holds Orange council.
“It’s through the efforts of many people, a team effort, that it’s been successful.”
Along with his wife Mosha, and daughter and son-in-law Irene and Peter Schwarczer, Cr Gryllis travelled to Port Moresby to accept the medal from PNG Governor-General Sir Michael Ogio at Government House.
Orange mayor John Davis and the council’s former enterprise director Stephen Sykes also travelled to PNG to witness the award ceremony.
During a recent visit to Orange, PNG Consul-General Sumasy Singin said the honour had been bestowed on Cr Gryllis for his role in building Mount Hagen to its current level.
Similar to the Australian honours system, the Logohu Medal (LM) is awarded for exemplary service in a profession, career, or industry group, or to the general PNG community, over a period of at least five years.