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When Teresa “Terry” Bourke’s name appeared on the Australia Day Honours List in January 2025, it marked recognition of a life devoted to swimming and supporting people with disability. After receiving her Order of Australia Medal on 30 April, the Redcliffe local remains as committed as ever to the causes that earned her national recognition.
Read: 2025 Australia Day: Inspiring Redcliffe Resident Awarded OAM for Supporting Special Olympians
“We are all proud of you Terry and you are such a deserving recipient,” Special Olympics Moreton North posted on their Facebook page following the April ceremony.
Nearly a year since the honours announcement, Bourke’s dedication shows no signs of waning. This year has seen her maintain her passion for swimming through continued volunteer work, including participating in the Swimathon at Redcliffe War Memorial Pool in June, where she helped raise funds for the club she has supported for more than two decades.
The official citation recognised Bourke for service to swimming as a coach, and to people with disability, acknowledging more than 25 years of volunteer work that has touched countless lives across the Redcliffe Peninsula and beyond.
Bourke has served as Head Swimming Coach for Special Olympics Queensland since 2022, though her involvement with the organisation stretches back to around 2000. Her role as Membership Officer and committee member at Moreton North Special Olympics Club, which she has held since 1999, keeps her actively involved in the club’s operations.
Bourke’s swimming credentials extend far beyond her work with the Special Olympics. She served as a volunteer coach for Redcliffe Peninsula Masters from 2000 to 2022, while also competing herself from 2001 to 2021. The club acknowledged her dedication in their 2021 newsletter, thanking Bourke and fellow coach Colleen Brinton who after volunteering their coaching services to the club for many years, have decided to take a well-earned rest.
However, retirement from formal coaching duties hasn’t meant stepping away entirely. Bourke currently volunteers as a coach at the Redcliffe City High Performance Centre and has previously coached with Down Syndrome Swimming Australia.
Her commitment to swimming is matched only by her dedication to nursing. After moving to Redcliffe in 1981, Bourke worked as a nurse at Redcliffe Hospital for 25 years. Even beyond her professional and coaching roles, she has contributed to the community through volunteering with The Breakfast Club Redcliffe.
Swimming Australia CEO Rob Woodhouse praised recipients like Bourke in a statement following the honours announcement, saying the swimming community from the Dolphins through to tireless champions like Teresa and Lynette deserve every accolade, and that we are richer for their contribution.
The Australia Day Honours List detailed Bourke’s extensive volunteer work, noting that Special Olympics Moreton North offers training in multiple sports including swimming sessions at Redcliffe War Memorial Pool. The club provides opportunities for people with intellectual disability to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, and experience joy through sport.
Read: Champion Spirit: Celebrating Graham Higham, Redcliffe’s First Olympian
The medal recognises not just Bourke’s personal achievement but the broader community of volunteers, athletes, and supporters who make programs like the Special Olympics possible. As she continues her work at the pool deck, her legacy of service grows stronger with each swimmer she coaches and each life she touches.
Published 30-December-2025
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