The Newcastle financier and philanthropist, 65, is director of several companies and chairs multiple charities, as well as Hunter Water.

On Thursday he was appointed an Officer in the General Division of the Order of Australia for “distinguished service to the community of the Hunter, particularly through advocacy for disability support organisations, to medical research, and to business”.

But Mr Lawler’s greatest source of pride, he said, is chairing the Newcastle-founded disability charity Life Without Barriers.

“I’m honoured by this recognition, and hopefully it can be of assistance in further promoting the work of Life Without Barriers,” Mr Lawler said.

“To see what’s been able to be achieved from those humble beginnings; now it’s got over 3500 staff nationally, and 300 locations.”

The charity also links refugees and asylum seekers with case support, settlement services and English classes.

Mr Lawler said asylum seekers have brought “great success” to Australia, and don’t deserve to languish in processing camps on Manus Island and Nauru under the government’s border protection regime.

“With regards to what’s been happening offshore, I find it very difficult to take any pride in it,” he said.

“It just defies my imagination that the conditions imposed on these people are in any way appropriate.”

Mr Lawler is the NSW government-appointed administrator of the Awabakal Aboriginal Local Land Council – a role in which he has faced and refuted conflict of interest accusations – and has administered three other land councils.

Working alongside indigenous colleagues, he said, has made him aware that not all Australians celebrate January 26.

Mr Lawler suggested Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people need to articulate their interpretations of the national day.

“For either group to sit intransigently in one position isn’t the right answer.”

A University of Newcastle commerce graduate, Mr Lawler worked for Coopers and Lybrand before founding the Lawler financial services firm in Hamilton in 1977.

In 2014 the firm affiliated with global accounting giant PKF and rebranded as PKF Lawler.

Mr Lawler and his wife, Toni, have been married 45 years. They live in Dudley and have three children, five grandchildren and a sixth grandchild on the way.

The couple have always lived in Newcastle, except for a stint in Canada in their 20s.

“We’d never live anywhere else. It’s the best city in the world,” Mr Lawler said.

“Just the lifestyle, the work ethic of Novocastrians. Nature’s opportunities are available to us. We’re a hard-working community, and it’s a great place to bring up children.”