Three of the newest recipients of the celebrated Order of Australia Medal, who come from across the region, were honoured at the annual lunch for Central West OAM recipients on Saturday.
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This year's lunch was hosted in Orange at Duntryleague and was an opportunity for past recipients to learn of the good deeds of others and see people why may not have seen in a while.
"We put on this luncheon every year, we've been doing it since the mid 1980s, I got my OAM in 1986," said committee chairwoman Audrey Hardman OAM.
David Williams OAM from Orange said he felt "very humble and surprised" when he was notified he'd be receiving the honour on Australia Day.
It makes you realise that people appreciate the things you did.
- Merle Thompson OAM
Mr Williams' medal was for service to the community.
"I've been involved in Orange Rotary Club, Legacy, Orange Rail Action Group, Banjo Paterson Festival - I was an instigator of that, and an instigator of Sustainable Living Week in Orange," Mr Williams said.
Graham Lupp OAM from Bathurst was awarded an OAM in the Queen's Birthday Honours list for his service to community history in Bathurst, notably for writing about the architectural history of Bathurst.
Mr Lupp said his book also covered other historic buildings across the Central West, including the historic Duntryleague building.
Merle Thompson OAM of South Bowenfells received her medal on Australia Day this year and said she started volunteering with the first of the current organisations she helps in the 1970s but she has volunteered since she was a child.
"Mine's for service to a range of organisations," Ms Thompson said.
"I have worked with a range of organisations, Polio NSW, Australian Plant Society and the one that initialised the OAM, the Australian Federation of Graduate Women.
"It makes you realise that people appreciate the things you did."
Anne Hopwood who has worked with Foodcare, Housing Plus and Livebetter also received an OAM alongside Mr Williams on Australia Day.
It was also the first time Mary Brell, who received her OAM last year, was able to attend the lunch and she attended with three other people, Lois and John Willing, who has a Public Service Medal, and Murray Paterson.
She said they are all involved in community development in Nepal.
"I've been doing it for 10 years, I'm going back in November," she said.
The guest speaker for the lunch was Kate Baxter AM, who became a Member of the Order of Australia last year and who is also director of TAFE Western NSW .
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Tanya Marschke
I am based at Orange and cover a wide range of subjects as well as the weekly business column. I've worked consistently in the the media industry since 2006 including the past seven years at the Central Western Daily. Before moving to Orange, I worked as a journalist at weekly newspapers the Beaudesert Times and the Gold Coast Sun in Queensland, as well as the Scone Advocate in the Hunter Valley. I started my career at the Ridge News in Lightning Ridge while I completed my journalism studies remotely at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst.
I am based at Orange and cover a wide range of subjects as well as the weekly business column. I've worked consistently in the the media industry since 2006 including the past seven years at the Central Western Daily. Before moving to Orange, I worked as a journalist at weekly newspapers the Beaudesert Times and the Gold Coast Sun in Queensland, as well as the Scone Advocate in the Hunter Valley. I started my career at the Ridge News in Lightning Ridge while I completed my journalism studies remotely at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst.
