When Morna Colbran was told she was recognised in this year's King's Birthday Honours, she didn't pay it much mind, thinking it could be spam.
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When the day rolled around and she was declared a recipient of the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM), rather than relax and celebrate, she used the fair weather to start painting her house.
"[Macquarie MP] Susan Templeman rang me, she said 'I hope you're sitting down and celebrating'. I said 'no, I'm getting the house ready to paint'. Goodness me, you don't get time to celebrate," Ms Colbran told the Gazette with a laugh.
This reaction would come as no surprise to those familiar with Ms Colbran, whose relentless efforts as general manager of Winmalee Neighbourhood Centre (WNC) have changed lives across the Blue Mountains and beyond.
Since taking the role in 2008, Ms Colbran led a "very poorly funded centre" in supporting those experiencing poverty, tragedy, and the effects of natural disasters like bushfires and floods.
She received a Community Service Award from the NSW government in 2016 and was named Blue Mountains City Council's Citizen of the Year in 2023. She said the King's Birthday Honours are another "very humbling" case of recognition she was never chasing.
"You don't expect any accolades for doing what you do. Because if you do expect accolades, you're going to be very sore and sorry about it," she said.
"You've got to have a passion for it, you can't come in and treat it like it's a normal job, because it's not a normal job. You're meeting people at their lowest ebb in life.
"That's what you need to have. That passion to get out and help people. Regardless of circumstances, you just get out and do it."
Across 15 years at WNC, Ms Colbran has not only supported the Blue Mountains through bushfires but has expanded to assist Lithgow, the Central West, and flood victims in the Hawkesbury.
Her drive to reach every corner in need of support has forged her lasting connections far beyond Winmalee.
"Up at Bell and Dargan and Clarence, they [still] invite me up all the time for a cup of tea. Even one couple invited me up for their Christmas day - which I went up to," Ms Colbran said.
Her motivation comes from a mix of lived experience and the moving reactions she sees in the community.
"I know what it's like to have poverty, and I know how it's difficult to have a roof over your head. So if you can play a small part in helping people that are doing it tough, it's a wonderful thing," she said.
"The bushfire people who lost their houses, they were just absolutely devastated, and they welcome you in, and trust you to do the right thing for them.
"You meet these wonderful people and they stay in your lives."
Ms Colbran said she will continue moving forward and helping people as much as she can, as well as advocating for her staff, adding: "It's not a one-woman team there. I need to keep advocating for them, because they're not making a living wage."
Governor-General David Hurley recognised 737 people in this year's King's Birthday Honours. He said it's important for people to nominate those in their community that might not otherwise be recognised.
"I have been steadfast that the Order must reflect the diversity of our community - I am pleased by the progress we have made over the last five years," he said.
"For it to continue, and it must, we need people to take the time to nominate people that inspire them."
