Marie Smith is to be granted a Medal of the Order of Australia on Tuesday.
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Just before Christmas she was told she would receive the OAM, but only told her family about the good news as it had to remain confidential until Australia Day, January 26.
“I feel very privileged to be rewarded for something I enjoy doing,” she said.
“I never thought that I would be considered for the award.”
While it was unexpected to her, Ms Smith has had a long and diverse history of working to benefit the community and last year was named a Bega Valley Shire Citizen of the Year.
Her work includes 50 years with the Bega Pony Club, 30 years with the Bega Show Society, helping in the Bega Valley Public School’s breakfast club and preparing flowers for St John’s Church.
“It’s good to be involved as it gives you a sense of self-worth and you get to meet different people,” Ms Smith said.
“It’s good to be involved as it gives you a sense of self-worth and you get to meet different people.”
- Marie Smith
She is also a life member of Bega’s pony club, showjumping and show societies.
The Angledale resident has created history, as she was the first female president of the show society, serving in the 1990s.
She said she works shows because they are part of the country lifestyle, so performs jobs in administration for the ring and pencils for the showjumping.
“I think I might be the oldest penciller in NSW,” she said.
Her late-husband Charlie was instrumental in setting up the showjumping club.
From this you can tell Ms Smith has a deep love of horses, which she has passed down to her three sons - and that she has had since growing up in Bairnsdale, Victoria.
“They are magnificent animals,” she said.
“I can remember riding a horse to school, all those years ago.”
Despite this love she got into the pony club by accident, after someone asked her to join a club when she was living in Berridale in the 1960s.
It was an exciting time to live in the Snowy Mountains, where Ms Smith was working as a nurse, as the Snowy Mountains Scheme was in full flight with a population of diverse nationalities in the area and it was so busy there were even nightclubs in Cooma.
After Berridale, Ms Smith and her husband moved to Bombala then Bega as he was an auctioneer who found work in the Valley.
She currently lives on a small farm in Angledale but will move into a retirement home this year, where she will keep as active as she can and remain involved in her clubs and societies.
Her other achievements include being the Bega Showgirl Competition coordinator for many years, the chief instructor for Zone 14 of the Pony Club Association of NSW for over 25 years, organiser of the Pony Club Camp for over 30 years, named Volunteer of the Year in 2010 for the pony club association and the founder of the Marie Smith Dressage Trophy for Zone 14 of the pony club association.
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