Years of service to the National Servicemen's Association and Returned and Services League of Australia, as well as involvement in various other community groups and organisations, has seen Moree's Reg Jamieson recognised on the 2019 Queen's Birthday Honours List.
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The Moree RSL sub-branch president and North West National Servicemen's Association sub-branch president has been awarded an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for service to the Moree community.
"I was very thrilled to get the letter in the first place," Mr Jamieson said.
"I feel that there's plenty of other people more deserving than me, but obviously they felt as though I was worthy of it."
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Mr Jamieson said the honour was particularly special, as the "chap that nominated me, Ron O'Mullane has since passed away".
The 86-year-old, who grew up in Cunnamulla, Queensland before moving to Moree in 1954, was among the second intake ever called for National Service in January 1952.
This was the start of 20 years with the National Service which was the catalyst for Mr Jamieson's two-decade-long involvement with the National Servicemen's Association.
"After I did CMF [Citzen Military Forces] training, I was meant to go to Korea but the war ended six weeks before our final training and I was deemed to be too old to go to Vietnam," Mr Jamieson said.
"We trained to serve if needed."
In 1999 Mr Jamieson joined the National Servicemen's Association and has been involved ever since. In 2008 he received life membership and has been president of the North West sub-branch since 2017.
It's a passion that Mr Jamieson holds to this day, and one he has no intention of giving up anytime soon.
"That was one of my biggest achievements," he said.
Mr Jamieson has also been involved with the Moree RSL sub-branch since about 1999 and has been president since 2014.
"I just want to give something back for the confidence in me for being re-elected as the president," Mr Jamieson said of his involvement.
Mr Jamieson was a volunteer firefighter in his hometown of Cunnamulla from 1952 until he moved to Moree in 1954. He continued as a firefighter in Moree until 1964.
"I came to Moree in 1954," he said.
"I was only going to stay for 21 years, like I did in Cunnamulla - I turned 21 three weeks after I moved here - but here I am."
Mr Jamieson married his wife Eva, who sadly passed away nearly 11 years ago, in Moree and raised their family of 10 children here.
"There was no TV when I got married in 1954," he laughed.
He now has 34 grandchildren, 35 great grandchildren and eight great great grandchildren.
In 1979, Mr Jamieson became involved with Moree Junior Rugby League as a referee, which he continued right up until 2011, at the age of 78.
He was also a member of the Citizens Radio Emergency Service Teams from 1978 until 1982, involved with Moree Motor Racing Club, serving five years as president, and is a past president of the Moree Vehicle Restorers Club.
Mr Jamieson began driving buses from Moree to Tamworth in 1981 and continued as a school and charter bus driver until early last year.
He was made a Justice of the Peace in 2004 and was awarded Elder of the Year (non-Aboriginal male) in 2015 and named on the Moree Community Elders Honour Roll in 2017.
Mr Jamieson said he was honoured to be recognised for his service to the community and thanked those who contributed to him receiving an OAM.
"I just want to show my appreciation for the people involved in me receiving this award," he said.
"It was unexpected, but I feel that I'm very privileged."
