Border surgeon Neil Bright, who died last year, has been awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for his service to medical education and the community of Albury-Wodonga.

A general surgeon since 1990, Dr Bright’s extensive contribution to the University of NSW Rural Clinical School in Albury included being head of campus, director – medical studies, Border Medical Training Hub director and conjoint associate professor of surgery.

Dr Bright was Albury Wodonga Health’s director of surgery between 2010 and 2013, chairman of the Albury Wodonga learning management committee and visiting practitioner for Hospital in the Home.

His former roles also included serving on the mortality and morbidity committee, Victorian Cancer Services and Cancer Council Victoria.

A member of the Albury Wodonga cancer centre working party, the surgeon was a volunteer and supporter of non government organisation Wise Choices For Life, Uganda.

Terry Cubley’s national and international career as a gliding competitor and administrator began when he was 15.

“I had no interest in aviation, but a mate of mine went gliding and I went with him,” he said. “I found I could do it and it was good fun.”

The Benalla man, now a Member in the General Division of the Order of Australia, has represented Australia seven times since 1983 and also coached national teams.

Presently the vice-president of the International Gliding Commission, he has served in a variety of roles for the Gliding Federation of Australia.

“Being able to make some changes and you see how the members appreciate the opportunities that we identify,” he said.

Mr Cubley, who was competition director of the 2017 World Gliding Championships in Benalla, said the sport remained strong in Victoria.

Oxley’s Neil Brock OAM says his experiences as a teenage rural fire brigade volunteer in the 1960s helped develop a commitment to community service.

“Because it was formative years, those sort of values stick with you a little bit,” he said.

The retired Country Fire Authority officer has been recognised for his contribution to Oxley and Milawa since joining those communities in 1992.

A longtime secretary of Oxley Residents Association, Mr Brock continues to volunteer for the annual Oxley bush market, Remembrance Day ceremonies and Memorial park restoration while also serving as a historian for his regions.

Joining the Milawa Rural Fire Brigade in 1995, he has filled various brigade and region roles and has been on the Region 23 rural competition committee since 1975.

“We need volunteers right throughout our communities,” he said.

Evelyn Burke contributed to her community, first in Oaklands, then Albury, from the early 1950s until her death in August last year, aged 91.

Awarded an Order of Australia Medal in particular for her service to women, Mrs Burke joined Oaklands Country Women’s Association in 1953 and filled all executive roles at various points until 1988 when she joined Albury branch.

Made a life member in 2016, she also served as Murray group president in 2003.

Also a life member of Oaklands Central School parents and citizens committee, Mrs Burke gave nearly 20 years to the boy scout association as well.

In 1985 she was the then Urana Shire’s Citizen of the Year, and was also named the CWA Murray Group Country Woman of the Year in 1981.

“She was part of the community, she was involved boots and all, in everything really, every committee in town,” her son Phillip said.

“So I think it’s nice that all that is recognised.” 

Wodonga’s 2008 Citizen of the Year Sue Cardwell has always enjoyed working with older people.

“They’ve got so much experience of life and I always think there but for the grace of God go I as you get older,” she said.

“You always hope that your own parents as they got older would get good care, and you want to be involved with doing that.”

A nurse for 50 years, Ms Cardwell has been awarded an OAM for service to community health, particularly aged care.

She helped set up the King Valley community health service in the 1970s, the Wodonga District Health Council in 1986 and lobbied government as the Westlands and Vermont Court hostels became Westmont Aged Care Services.

“It wasn’t just me,” she stressed.

“I’ve worked with so many wonderful people over the years and in one way, if one gets acknowledged I hope they can accept part of it too.”

Wangaratta’s chief administrator from 2013 to 2016 is now Ailsa Fox OAM for her service to the community and to primary industry.

Mrs Fox’s local government roles have also included Murrindindi chief commissioner for three years and a Mansfield councillor in the early 1990s.

On the Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority, she has been deputy chair, director and chair of the audit, risk and compliance committee.

A Rural Skills Australia director since 2008 and former director of the Rural Financial Counselling Service, Mrs Fox remains a Victorian Farmers Federation member.

In the VFF she has served as vice-president, delegate to the Cattle Council of Australia and president of the livestock commodity group for four years.

Born and raised in Finley, retired business owner John Hand OAM said his grandfather and father both set the example for community service in the town.

“I think from very early on, if it wasn’t said it was certainly shown, you’re supported in your business so it’s important that you return that support to the community,” he said.

Mr Hand was Finley Fire Brigade captain for 30 years and is a historian and life member of the Fire and Rescue NSW Firefighter Championships Association.

Other groups he has been involved with include Finley RSL Club, Murray League Football Tribunal, Finley Football Club, Finley Swimming Club, Finley Apex Club, Finley preschool, primary and secondary school parents groups and the Finley 100 years celebrations organising committee.

Mr Hand said he gained great satisfaction from the continued growth of Finley Regional Care, formerly Berriquin Nursing Home.

“It’s a wonderful asset to the town, I was just one of many team members way back in 1987 to get the funding together for it,” he said.

Well-known Wodonga educator Vern Hilditch has received a Public Service Medal for outstanding public service to education and the support of families in the school community in Victoria.

Over his 46-year career, Mr Hilditch worked in Murrayville, Mount Eliza, Nathalia, RAAF School Penang, Albert Park and Benalla before becoming principal at Tallangatta.

He then moved to Wodonga’s Mitchell Secondary College, which became the Middle Years College, and is now executive principal of Middle Years, Wodonga Senior Secondary College and five flexible learning centres.

“My job I see as a government school principal is to try and create as many opportunities to get as many kids involved in education as possible so they have a pathway,” he said.

“Kids don’t fail school, school fails kids, it resonated with me quite strongly.

“Education, you take all comers, but there’s some really fantastic outcomes of young people, you work with them and they go to bigger and better things.” 

During bushfires that affected Mitta in 2003, 2006 and 2009, Ambulance Victoria volunteer Robyn Kelly visited all at risk aged residents to assess their situation and ensure they had an evacuation plan.

Dedication like this has seen her awarded an Ambulance Service Medal to acknowledge a commitment that lasted more than 20 years.

Mrs Kelly, who retired from her role last June, said she and her husband Russell became community officers soon after relocating to Mitta.

“I treated it as a full-time occupation; when I was home or within the valley I was on call,” she said.

Living in a small community, she usually knew the people involved in the incidents.

“It affects you a lot, but you’ve got to just go do what you can,” she said

“Being able to serve the community and actually make a difference and be useful, I think that was a privilege.”

Since the 1940s Ken Lucas, of Waldara, has been a racer and enthusiast of historic or classic motor cycles.

His Medal of the Order of Australia pays tribute to his service to motor sports.

A member of the Wangaratta Motor Sports Club for many years, Mr Lucas was an honorary member of the Historic Motor Cycle Racing Register of South Australia between 1989 and 2002.

Over the years the restorer owned a sizeable fleet of Norton, Vincent, Indian, Triumph and Douglas motorcycles.

Mr Lucas always kept an open home to the busloads of classic vehicle clubs, professional motorcycle riders and enthusiasts who visited his property every year.

When chiropractor Leo Maguire arrived in Wangaratta from the US 52 years ago, his profession was unfamiliar to many.

“Leo was very passionate about chiropractic and very good at what he did and it wasn’t very long before he had a big following,” his wife Janis said.

“He had some families that he was in the fifth generation.”

Dr Maguire, who died in December 2017 aged 80, was today awarded an Order of Australia Medal for service to medicine as a chiropractor.

In his first year in Australia, he helped set up the Ovens and Murray Baseball Association while he also enjoyed singing with groups and as a soloist.

Mrs Maguire said her husband ran a home office for the last 10 years after a brief retirement when he was 70.

An ambassador for the Royal Flying Doctor Service since the 1970s, former television weatherman Keith Martyn has joined the Australia Day honours recipients for his service to the community.

Now of Tawonga South, Mr Martyn worked for Nine News and Channel Seven in Adelaide between 1980 and 2007.

He is a patron of the Western Hospital’s oncology unit and Make-A-Wish Foundation and hosted charity air shows between 1985 and 2008.

For 23 years  his South Australian Almanac was an annual tradition.

Benalla’s Pauline Messenger OAM has served her community for decades but a 2015 community meeting she organised to talk about suicide stands out.

“I’d have to say it was one of the biggest things I’d taken on,” she said.

“But it was a very successful night, it allowed people in the community to openly say that they had problems.

“It took about 18 months or more but we have now managed to get far more workers in Benalla.”

Mrs Messenger started a Brownie pack more than 60 years ago and since then has been chairperson of Benalla Art Gallery, served on the North Eastern Water Board and was a Benalla councillor from 1987 to 1994.

A meals on wheels volunteer for 10 years, she has been a Friends of Cooinda committee member since 1988.

Like all recipients, Benalla’s Jim Renkin OAM is pleased and humbled to be recognised on Australia Day.

“It’s the quality of the people around you that counts,” he said.

“I don’t really know what OAM stands for, but I’m hoping that it stands for Ordinary Australian Man because I think that’s what I am.”

Mr Renkin’s long CFA service includes being Benalla group officer since 1997 while other organisations he’s assisted include Swanpool Hall and Reserve committee of management, Swanpool Tennis Club, Swanpool Landcare and Swanpool Primary School.

A former player, secretary and junior coach of the now-folded Swanpool Football Club, he wanted to see all young players get a go.

“I didn’t care if they only got one kick a week, the smile on their face when they got that kick was worth gold,” he said.

A breeder, exhibitor and judge of heritage livestock for more than 40 years, Benalla’s Ethel Stephenson worked tirelessly to promote the importance of preserving genetic diversity in the industry.

Mrs Stephenson, who died last May aged 91, has been awarded an OAM for her service to organisations such as the English Leicester Association of Australia, Black and Coloured Sheep Breeders Association of Australia (Victoria) and the Strong Wool Breeders Association.

“Her natural leadership, organisational capabilities and determined work ethic soon became apparent,” an obituary in Rare Breeds magazine said.

“Standards of excellence were set for sheep, classification guidelines were drawn up for wool and the coloured wool environment expanded rapidly.”

One of the first female architecture students at Sydney University, Mrs Stephenson set up Ostlers Hill Black and Coloured Sheep with her husband Peter in the 1970s.

Her niece Rebecca Crown said her aunt would have been delighted by her Australia Day honour.

A life member of Yarrawonga-Mulwala Historical Society, Jacye Symes receives an Order of Australia Medal for her contribution to community history.

Mrs Symes has been the society’s research officer since 1994 and also served as treasurer, secretary and on the history book committee.

She’s volunteered for the Yarrawonga Mulwala Pioneer Museum and Friends of St Cuthbert's Bric-a-Brac Shop for many years.

“She’s always been someone that didn’t think twice about giving back to the community that she lived in,” her daughter Narelle Russo said.

“It was not a big deal, it was just what you did.

“We’re really proud that she’s getting honoured in this way.”

Former Tocumwal sportsman Greg Thompson, who is now a Brisbane doctor, was awarded an OAM for his service to sport through a range of organisations.

A PE teacher and sports organiser at Finley High School for 16 years in the 1980s and 1990s, Dr Thompson served Tocumwal Bloods Football Club in a variety of roles, becoming a life member in 1986.

Two years later he was also named a life member of Tocumwal Cricket Club, where his positions include A grade captain for six years.

In Murray Valley Cricket Association he was a Country Week representative player and captain for 72 matches and also filled jobs such as junior chairman and chairman of selectors.

In 2015-2016, Dr Thompson helped organise Tocumwal Bloods Football Club’s 125^th anniversary celebrations.

Howlong’s Harold Wilkes, 98, said he was amazed to learn of his OAM for service to his community.

“These sort of things come about when you’re given support and you help,” he said.

“As time went on, people utilised one another’s talents, everybody helps one another.”

Mr Wilkes, who served in the navy during World War II, joined Howlong RSL in 1987, soon after he and his wife Lesley retired to the town from Melbourne.

A sign writer in his professional life, Mr Wilkes looked at a Howlong noticeboard early on, made a suggestion and this “had a snowball effect”.

He has been a volunteer sign writer for Howlong Lions Club for nearly 33 years and also fills the same role for Howlong Men’s Shed.

Mr and Mrs Wilkes have been married for 74 years.

The support of loved ones and colleagues has helped Peter Wright OAM, of Corowa, through 40 years of attending emergencies.

A founding member of Corowa Volunteer Rescue Association rescue squad in 1978, Mr Wright became a qualified recovery diver two years later.

His experiences attending road accidents and drownings led him to support campaigns such as Respect the River, Brooke Richardson don’t-text-n-drive Foundation and the Cool Heads Young Driver Education Program.

“If an award like this allows me to lift the profile of those key areas, that’s what I’ll be using this for because it is about prevention,” he said.

A volunteer sports trainer for Wahgunyah Football Club for more than 30 years, Mr Wright was a Corowa councillor for five years and also a past president of Corowa Hockey Club. 

He said he’d like to split his OAM “into about 800 pieces” to reflect the many other volunteers equally worthy of recognition.