Bill Lark, the Godfather of Australian Whisky, was today recognised with the awarding of an ‘Member of the Order of Australia’ in the 2026 Australia Day Honours List. Bill is the man who changed distilling in Australia and established the LARK Distillery with his wife Lyn, in Hobart in 1992.Bill has been recognised for his outstanding contribution to the Australian distilling community as well as the Tasmanian community. Driven by a passion to explore, question and reimagine what whisky could be; Bill began his whisky journey in the late 1980s. After a, now, renowned fishing trip with his Scottish father-in-law, who recognised echoes of his homeland in Tasmania’s landscape, Bill and Lyn set out to overturn a 150-year-old law that had long restricted distillation in Tasmania. After several years lobbying, it was, and the rest as they say is history. Established in 1992, LARK has led the way in shaping the Tasmanian and Australian whisky industry. 

“I am genuinely humbled by receiving this award and feel immensely honoured to be recognised as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM). I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the sharing and collegiality offered to me by the Scottish industry, a sentiment which is largely shared today throughout the industry in Australia. Today our craft encompasses manufacturing, hospitality and tourism employing many people. I would also like to thank the many people across Australia who have helped make an amazing industry a reality.” Bill Lark commented. 

Bill was the first Australian inducted into the World Whisky Hall of Fame in 2015 and he is also an inaugural inductee in the Australian Distillers Hall of Fame. Bill was also the Founding President of the Australian Distillers Association in 2004. Bill remains actively involved in the LARK business, and this past week travelled to Asia to launch the new range of LARK Single Malt Whiskies in Malaysia and Singapore. 

“Australian whisky owes almost everything to Bill Lark and this recognition could not be more richly deserved,” LARK CEO Stuart Gregor commented “Bill has not only made the most incredible contribution to Tasmanian whisky but to the distilled spirits industry across Australia. His name is synonymous with great quality, integrity and imagination, and for what the New World of Whisky, with Tasmania at the forefront, can become. The whole of the industry thanks Bill from the bottom of our glass.”