McKeon has supported a range of causes and organisations, having previously been on the board of World Vision Australia, and is currently Chairman of the CSIRO and Business for Millennium Development, which encourages business to engage with the developing world.

The award for Senior Australian of the Year 2011 went to Professor Ron McCallum AO, for pursuing equal rights for people with disabilities. Professor McCallum is the first totally blind person to have been appointed to a full professorship at an Australian university, was the inaugural President of the Australian Labour Law Association and is currently Chair of Radio for the Print Handicapped of New South Wales Co-operative.

He is one of two Deputy Chairs of Vision Australia, and one of twelve members of the first monitoring committee for the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Australia’s Local Hero 2011 is suicide prevention advocate and compassionate Australian Donald Ritchie OAM of Vaucluse, New South Wales, and Young Australian of the Year 2011 is sailor Jessica Watson.

Other philanthropic Australians on the Australia Day Honours list included:

• Sid Myer, The Myer Foundation (AM)
• Hayden Raysmith, Melbourne Community Foundation (AM)
• Bruce Corlett, The Trust Company (AM)
• Tony Harrington, Australian Charities Fund (AM)
• Malcolm Coutts, Ronald McDonald Children’s Charities (OAM)
• Joy Gillett, Australian Rotary Health (OAM)
• Mark Bethwaite, Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife (AM)

A number of Australians were also awarded honours for their contributions to industry associations, including:

• Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, Australian Medial Association (AMA) (AO)
• Antoinette Kennedy, Women Lawyers of Western Australia (AO)
• Dr Charles Roe, AMA (AM)
• Barrymore Michael Court, Pastoralists and Graziers Association of Western Australia (AM)
• David Joseph Crossin, Australian Capital Territory Law Society (AM)
• Peter Spratt, Engineers Australia (AM)
• Robert James Argent, the 2/2nd AIF Battalion Association (AM)
• John Charles Cauchi-Gera, 2nd Field Ambulance Past Members Association (OAM)
• David Alexander Christie, Australian Special Air Service Association (OAM)
• Francis William Cocks, National Servicemen’s Association of Australia (OAM)
• Kenneth Harold Foster, Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia (OAM)
• Malcolm Ronald Hughes, Naval Association of Australia (OAM)
• Nola May Randall-Mohk, Cambodian and Khmer associations (OAM)