A passionate advocate for the community, Mrs McDonald was flattered by the honour, saying there were many in the community who also deserved recognition.

“It’s overwhelming someone has nominated me,” she said.

“I look around and see people who don’t receive any accolades and deserve to be recognised.

“It has been a privilege and rewarding to be part of this community and to make anything happen it has to be teamwork.

“I am involved with some terrific organisations and you always work in a team environment.”

Mrs McDonald acknowledged her husband Malcolm saying he was “always there for me”.

In her role at Dungog District Retirement Living, Mrs McDonald and her colleagues are currently trying to get a satellite dialysis unit at Dungog Hospital.

“The best option is for people to dialyse at home, but some people have said to us that it’s too hard without a carer,” she said.

“The only option they have then is to travel to Maitland three times a week.

“The sad thing is there are some people who have said no I can’t do it and there is only one outcome when that happens.”

Mrs McDonald, who established and managed the shire’s 13 self care units, was keen to see more of this type of housing in Dungog.

“I think self care is the future,” she said.

Mrs McDonald, who served on council from 1995 to 2004 with five of those years as deputy mayor, also served on numerous council committees including delegate of the Shires Association of New South Wales and board member of Hunter Councils.

She was inaugural secretary of the Dungog Shire aged care steering committee from 1978 to 1980 and then became the secretary of Dungog District Retirement Living when it was established in 1980 and has been a member of the Dungog Shire Health Services Forum when it was formed in 1996.