Hervey Bay (formerly of Narrabri)

Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for services to the communities of Narrabri and Hervey Bay

PAMELA Thomas has swapped western NSW for the beaches of Queensland in recent years, but Narrabri’s loss has definitely been Hervey Bay’s gain.

Mrs Thomas retired to Hervey Bay in 2008, but has picked up where she left off in terms of her community volunteering and involvement.

Her years of service are diverse – everything from pony club to the Narrabri Musical and Dramatic Society, of which she became a life member after being one of its founding members in 1968.

She was camp “matron” for the Narrabri Pony Club for 28 years and was made a life member, and was a life member of the local high school P & C and the Narrabri Arts Eisteddfod.

Other organisations to benefit from her efforts were the Narrabri Community Choir, Crossing Theatre, Meals on Wheels, Jessie Hunt Nursing Home, local hospital auxiliary and the Scouts and Girl Guides.

Since moving north, where she has retired to the Fraser Shores Retirement Village, she’s been president and vice-president of the village committee, the entertainment co-ordinator and a choir member.

Mrs Thomas has also carried on her involve-ment with the Presbyterian church, of which she was an active member in Narrabri, along with Inner Wheel, which she headed up in Narrabri for many years.