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.” Said Bill Lark.
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,” said LARK CEO Stuart Gregor.
“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.”
About us:
About LARK Distilling Co.
Founded in 1992 by pioneers Bill and Lyn Lark, LARK Distilling Co. is the original distillery of modern Tasmania, igniting the island’s whisky movement, overturning a 150-year-old distilling ban and establishing Tasmania as one of the world’s most distinctive whisky regions. Today, LARK is Australia’s No.1 Luxury Single Malt Whisky brand and a recognised leader of the global New World whisky category.
Crafted at the historic Pontville Distillery in Tasmania, LARK whiskies are defined by fortified depth, silky complexity and a flavour-forward style shaped by the island’s extraordinary super-climate.
Guided by curiosity rather than convention, LARK continues to push boundaries through innovation in cask maturation, locally sourced ingredients and creative experimentation - producing whiskies that taste like nowhere else on Earth.
Alongside its acclaimed Single Malt portfolio, LARK handcrafts the award-winning Forty Spotted Gin range, made with native botanicals including Tasmanian pepperberry, citrus and juniper, offering a refreshing perspective on gin from the bottom of the world. KURIO, the newest addition, is a bold Tasmanian Blended Malt Whisky from the makers of LARK, created for the curious by the curious. Crafted from innovative single malt experiments and unexpected cask finishes, it celebrates the creative pulse of the island. Led by Master Distiller Chris Thomson, KURIO invites drinkers to discover flavour beyond the expected.
LARK and its family of brands are recognised locally and globally for their quality, pioneering spirit and community, earning numerous international accolades over more than three decades. Most recently, LARK won three Double Gold medals and two gold medals at the 2025 World Spirits Competition in San Francisco, as well as earning five medals at the World Whiskies Awards, including Gold for LARK 1911 and a fourth consecutive Category Winner for Symphony No.1. In 2024, LARK was awarded Australia’s Best Single Malt and Best Blended Malt at the World Whiskies Awards in London.
LARK and Forty Spotted Gin can be experienced at the Hobart Cellar Door and The Still Whisky and Cocktail Bar, through premium bars, retailers and Global Travel Retail around the world.
The immersive LARK Distillery Tour at the historic Pontville site invites whisky lovers and flavour explorers to discover Tasmania’s New World of Whisky seven days a week.
Whisky from another world.
For more information, visit www.larkdistillery.com
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