"Everybody's always doing something, and you don't expect to be the one chosen," Julie James said.

One of the small town's quietest yet biggest achievers, Julie James described a flood of emotions when she heard her name resounding over speakers at Molong's Australia Day Awards Ceremony on Wednesday.

"[The emotions are] because of the unexpected recognition, I think," Ms James said.

"[Recognition] for the little things you do, that you think no one notices, but they obviously do."

Crowned Molong's Citizen of the Year, Julie James has long-served the community for many decades. Starting a career with the local hospital in 1984, it's still the one and the same job she holds today.

"I'm in charge of the catering, the cleaning and the laundry and I'm still there today - 38 years later - and still loving my job," she said with a nod beneath a big grin.

"I still love looking after the residents in the nursing home section and looking after the community through the general wards.

"I just love the looks on their faces when they feel cared for and it's been amazing, it really has."

In 1996, Ms James was also the very first female to join the Molong Fire Brigade. Serving for a decade, she says she'd still be there as well today if it weren't for her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.

"I was the first female member to join the town fire brigade, and I honestly could not have wanted to work with a better group of people than those guys," Ms James said.

"Everybody fit in together, nobody had differences, and we all just slotted in together so well.

"The experience that I had there, I wouldn't have had anywhere else - car accidents, fires, floods, you name it - and I would've still been in it [the fire brigade] if I hadn't had done my ACL, but it was brilliant, it really was brilliant."

With no plans of going anywhere anytime soon, Julie James is keeping busy getting the Molong Multipurpose Service (MPS) Centre underway with its sensory garden for patients, their families, staff and the wider community.

And, while she's prioritised the smiles of so many for the last several decades, the return smile on Mrs James' face was one of a well-earned honour.

"You never think you've done enough, or that you've done anything significant to warrant that award, and you always think that somebody's done more or better," she said.

"It's like you don't accept that you've done just as much ... so, I'm feeling absolutely honoured today for the recognition."

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