GAWLER resident Mark Brooking has been awarded the Overseas Humanitarian Service Medal by the Australian Government.

The medal honours members of recognised Australian groups for emergency humanitarian service overseas in hazardous circumstances.

Mr Brooking grew up and was schooled in Woomera before studying mechanical engineering at what is now Adelaide University at Mawson lakes and has since gained a Master’s degree in emergency management from the Charles Sturt University.

His humanitarian work began back in 1999 when he volunteered with CARE Australia and was thrown in at the deep end as their infrastructure manager, building an emergency shelter camp for 45,000 people displaced by the Kosovo War (captured in the ABC Australian Story episode: The Long Day’s Task).

Since then, Mr Brooking has gained extensive experience in the international humanitarian world and his expertise in emergency preparedness and response (EPR) is greatly enhanced by his experience and training in the sectors of shelter, logistics, early recovery, access negotiation and civil-military co-ordination, all of which have been utilised by the United Nations over the past nine years.

His technical abilities have recently been sought by the UN and the Norwegian government regarding the future rebuilding of Syrian critical infrastructure, once their fighting ends. He has given presentations to universities and militaries on his experiences in what are very often extremely difficult and complex environments.

Mr Brooking is collaborative in his approach, which is evident in his mentoring and capacity building, whilst constantly promoting inclusivity for people with disabilities, an end to racism and gender-based violence.

His work and travel has taken him into more than 70 countries. He cites his most rewarding achievements as either negotiating with armed actors (warlords & mercenaries) to successfully gain humanitarian access for relief supplies behind their frontlines or the co-ordinating of more than 50 odd medivacs of wounded civilians caught in the cross fire of particularly brutal civil wars such as in Sierra Leone and South Sudan.

Mr Brooking enjoys returning to Gawler for his rest and recuperation and said he particularly enjoys the local live music pub scene with family and friends.