JULIA Gillard once told talkback stalwart Tony Pilkington that she grew up listening to him while being driven to school in Adelaide, and Kevin Rudd says his wife Therese Rein is also a fan. Pilkington, 67, has been awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List, for service to the broadcast media industry as an announcer, and to the community for his work with charity organisations.