These words are a guiding philosophy for Wilfred MacBeth, an educator of over 60 years who is being awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) on Thursday.

Despite his selfless outlook, Mr MacBeth said he was surprised to hear he'd been selected to receive an OAM on Australia Day.

"I'm a bit gobsmacked, for a start. Why me?" he said.

The answer to that could be his six decades of teaching, his time spent helping community organisations, or perhaps someone just really appreciates him voluntarily cleaning up the litter on Quirindi's roads every two weeks.

He's also planted over 5,000 trees for wildlife corridors and started a plantation at his local garbage disposal just because it was a "bit of an eyesore."

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For Mr MacBeth, every opportunity to help someone is a call to action, regardless of whether he gets anything in return.

"You don't do what you do for a medal or a reward, you do it because you see a need and you do your own assessment. My view is if I have what I thought was the skillset to meet that need, I've gotta do it. There's no option," he said.

Mr MacBeth started his lengthy teaching career in 1962, though it wasn't a job he initially dreamed of having.

He was diagnosed with polio in 1956, one year before the anti-polio vaccine came out, and his doctor at the time believed he would be permanently paralysed.

As such, Mr MacBeth's school counsellor advised him to pursue a career in teaching.

Despite it not being his initial plan, Mr MacBeth said becoming a teacher was one of the best things he ever did, as the principal at his first school helped shape him into the person he is today.

Taking him aside one day, the principal said,

"God's given you these gifts to share with other people. If you're not prepared to share them with other people you didn't deserve to have them."

"I thought pretty seriously about that and decided whether you believe in God or not, it was pretty sage advice," Mr Macbeth said.

"If you're not prepared to share the talents you have, what's the point in having them?"

Now retired, he teaches one day a week, helping kids in Currabubula Primary School discover their love for music.

While he may downplay some of his achievements, members of the community don't let Mr MacBeth's work go unnoticed.

Mr MacBeth has previously been nominated for Liverpool Plains citizen of the year in 2017 and received a Coonabarabran citizen of the year award in 1999.

Speaking on his past nominations and awards, Mr MacBeth remained humble.

"Other people make that assessment, can't do much about that," he said, though he added he'd like to give his OAM nominator a "big thank you!"

Mr MacBeth said there are many people who could've submitted the anonymous nomination, though he emphasised how much of what he does is a team effort.

"I didn't really do anything much for them. All I did was provide an opportunity when there was a perceived need. It was actually their own strength of character to get up and run with it that made them succeed. It's more about them than it is about me," he said.

Mr MacBeth will spend Australia Day at an intimate get-together with members of his close family.

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