The 52-year-old athletics legend and proud Aboriginal woman was among 10 people appointed to the Companion (AC) of the Order of Australia in the annual Australia Day honours list.
The 400m gold medallist at the 2000 Sydney Olympics was recognised for services to athletics, social impact across Australia and being a youth role model.
Other AC recipients included South Australian Chief Justice Chris Kourakis, NSW Chief Justice Andrew Bell, cancer and epidemiology expert Bruce Armstrong, biomedical researcher Anne Kelso, climate expert Peter John Cook, cancer researcher Paula Fox and quantum physicist Michelle Simmons.
Federal minister-turned-OECD secretary-general Mathias Cormann and longstanding now-former Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk also received the top honour.
Further down on the list was another former premier, NSW's Kristina Keneally, who has received the second-highest honour, an Officer of the Order of Australia.
Some 680 Australians were recognised with Order of Australia awards, made up of 496 men and 184 women.
The differential didn't go unnoticed by the Council of the Order of Australia.
"The gender balance of this year's honours list more broadly is both a cause for concern and, the council hopes, a prompt for community action," it said.
"There is no doubt there are as many outstanding women contributing to our communities as there are men ... the council would like to see this balance reflected across all nominations and, therefore, outcomes at all levels of award."
Governor-General Sam Mostyn said the diverse accomplishments of the recipients reflected the value Australians placed on service, community, kindness, curiosity, tenacity and care.
"As the list so vividly showcases, so many Australians continue to give the best of themselves across many endeavours, in the interest of others," she said.
The youngest recipient was Nicholas Pearce, 32, who was recognised for helping homeless youths.
The eldest living recipients are Janina Archabuz and Derrick Hammon, both aged 99.
Another 269 Australians were honoured with separate awards for their work in the military, emergency services and the public service.
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