New England Australia Day 2023: awards honour community heroes from Armidale, Glen Innes, Uralla, Inverell and Mungindi

They work tirelessly, often behind the scenes and without formal recognition.

This is their day in the spotlight.

TINGHA product Preston Campbell has been awarded a medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his service to Indigenous youth and rugby league.

The former NRL star grew up in the region where he played for the Inverell Hawks.

More recently, he established the Preston Campbell Foundation to work with Indigenous youth.

He has been a volunteer with the Indigenous Youth Mobility Pathway Project, an ambassador in the Deadly Choices program and worked with the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health.

Campbell also played a part in the Titans Reconciliation Action Plan and still plays a big part in its Indigenous programs.

"The fact they're still very happy to showcase Indigenous culture, it's a very proud moment."

Deni McKenzie was "gobsmacked" when she found out she had been recognised with an Order of Australia for her services to Armidale and Uralla.

"I was a bit gobsmacked and I didn't expect it," Deni said.

"I'm very conscious of being involved in a lot of community things that I've been doing for the last 40 years in Armidale.

"So, it was a great honour for someone to have put my name forward."

After being handed her award on Australia Day, Denis said she has booked a time to sit down with Armidale Mayor Sam Coupland to discuss improvements to the region, such as reopening the disused train tracks ahead of the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane.

A love for the "sleepy" and history-rich town he calls home has led to Kent Mayo being awarded a prestigious honour - a medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to the community of Uralla.

Mr Mayo, who was working as a teacher at the time, moved to Armidale from Bathurst with his wife Annie in 1973 after he was promoted to the Armidale Demonstration School.

The pair only lasted in Armidale for one year before Mr Mayo's love for Uralla won out and they moved to the quiet town.

"I had fallen in love with Uralla," he said.

"It was so sleepy and hadn't woken up to itself and the charm that it possessed."

Mr Mayo continued working as a teacher before founding the Uralla Players in 1976.

"Uralla had no theatre group and I thought it was just the right environment for an old-time musical and that's how we created Mrs O'Malley's Magnificent Music Hall," he said.

Among his other achievements, he was chairman of the Creative Village Committee with Uralla Shire Council from 1995 to 2005 and was a member of the tourism committee from 1982 to 1986.

He remains the honorary museum director of McCrossin's Mill Museum, a position he has held since 2004.

Mr Mayo said he is honoured to receive an OAM for his work within the community.

"My brother used to have this saying and it's that this is a nice shock, and that's what this is," he said. "A nice shock.

"The most rewarding thing is that you have these visions of what might be possible and you work for it, then suddenly you have people on board and it all happens."

Armidale local Dr Jeanette Berman says Australia needs to do more to ensure the education system is a lot more inclusive and equitable.

"Many schools are not well resourced enough even to get the basic things they need," Dr Berman said after being recognised with an Order of Australia OAM for her services to education.

"And some schools are well and truly over-resourced."

The highly regarded Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of New England's School of Education has spent a lifetime trying to provide better educational outcomes for children.

After being notified of her OAM, Dr Berman said recognition of people involved in education is incredibly important.

"I would see this award as being for everyone with whom I've worked: the families, the children, and all the wonderful teachers who are out there doing amazing jobs.

"I'm only part of a very big system."

Rosemary Curtis OAM has been helping her community for over 60 years, and it is this contribution that is being recognised through the award of a Medal of the Order of Australia.

"I've always helped people my whole life, beginning from when I had to hide my younger siblings from welfare during the 50's," Ms Curtis said.

"Black or white, it doesn't matter. If you've needed a safe place to stay, food, a lift, I've always been there for my community."

A Jack of all trades, former NSW Cross-Border Commissioner and NSW Town Water Supply Coordinator James McTavish received his third national award on Australia Day.

His journey started in in the New England region where he attended The Armidale School, graduating in 1987.

Mr McTavish received a Public Service Medal for the outstanding public service to cross border communities and communities facing critical water supply issues- particularly during the drought in 2019.

Previously, Mr McTavish has been awarded nationally for his work with the State Emergency Services and his time in the Royal Australia Army.

"This is actually my third national award, so I'm really lucky," he said,

While thrilled to learn of his award, Mr McTavish said the work he done was not achieved on his own.

"I'm very excited by the opportunity to showcase the great work we have been doing in drought response in securing water supply for communities right across regional NSW," he said.

Mr McTavish has since moved on from his role, but said there is still immense work being done to ensure there will be access to safe and clean water should another drought be right around the corner.

KYM Stanford accepts the Australian Fire Service Medal on behalf of all volunteers, and her crew, she said.

Being awarded the public service medal has left the Mungindi Rural Fire Brigade captain "blown away".

Since taking up the mantle of brigade president in 2013, she has led to meet the changing needs of the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) and community.

She qualified as a Rescue Operator when the need arose to provide rescue capabilities for Mungindi and the surrounding area.

In 2022, she shared a RFS Commissioner's Unit Citation for Service awarded to her brigade for its response to a large fire in the main street in September 2020 that destroyed the town's supermarket.

As a trainer and assessor, Ms Stanford has supported the establishment of new operational capabilities.

The 54-year-old Moree Plains Shire Council pool manager comes from a family of fire fighters.

With 26 years in the RFS under her belt, she's learnt every flood, every fire is different.

"I'm quite happy to volunteer, serve the community and give our community the best possible service we can," she said.