Bill Picken OAM Bill Picken’s service to the community rewarded Mr William (Bill) Picken OAM (ON 1968) was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for service to the horse racing industry. Bill, who grew up in Croydon Park and whose wife Lesley is 1987, he served as chief steward and horse steward in horse events a fourth-generation horse trainer, emphasised service when in the main arena at Moore Park. He recalls first competing at the discussing the award. Show as a six-year-old. ‘It’s not about me. I was brought up to help people, especially those ‘The RAS is a great organisation. My work there allowed me to mix less fortunate. I am only a small cog in a big wheel. Racing has been with a lot of great people.’ great to us,’ he said. Bill retains friendships with many people he met at Newington and Bill has been a member of Sydney Turf Club, now the Australian attended The 70 Club lunch on Tuesday 12 April. He was a registered Turf Club, since 1988 and served as its chairman from 2008 to harness racing driver in his final year studying at the College. 2010. He was also the Club’s vice-chairman from 2005 to 2008, honorary treasurer from 2003 to 2004 and a board member from ‘I met so many wonderful people at Newington and have many great 1998 to 2010. memories and lifelong friends from school.’ Bill has a long association with the Royal Agricultural Society (RAS), Bill is a long-time supporter of the NSW Mounted Police Unit and serving as ringmaster from 2014 to 2016 and as a councillor from was a patron of the Newtown Police Citizens Youth Club (PCYC) and 2000 to 2020. He served as chair of the RAS’s Horse Committee counts renowned boxing trainer Johnny Lewis among his friends. and has been a board member since 2000. At different times since He is fond of Lewis’s quote ‘a person is at their tallest when they bend down to help someone else’, as it sums up his passion for service. Service | News Spring 2022 | Alumni, Community and Development | 59