An embossed envelope from the Governor General did not really catch Rhonda Hoban’s attention when she checked the mail some weeks ago.
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“I get requests for references not infrequently, so I didn’t pay it much attention,” Rhonda said.
When she did eventually open it , she got the surprise of her life …
The letter was telling her she’d been awarded an OAM (Order of Australia) as part of the 2019 Australia Day honours list.
“I was in shock … I felt incredibly humbled, and chuffed but also slightly uncomfortable – normally I’m the person presenting the awards, it feels so strange being on the receiving end.”
Rhonda, who is currently in her fourth term as a Nambucca Shire councillor and third as the mayor, received the accolade “in recognition of her services to the community in her role as mayor”.
“I can immediately think of so many others who are deserving of such acknowledgement. There are hundreds of volunteers working in our community to improve our quality of life.
“That is what gobsmacked me the most when I first became the mayor ... seeing all those people working quietly in the background at all those events, keeping things ticking over – at surf clubs, school committees, RFS, VRA, Lions, Rotary, art groups. The only difference is that my role is a more visible one.”
While Rhonda might squirm in this particular spotlight, her husband Kev says she deserves every bit of it.
“I see the amount of work that Rhonda does, it is 24/7 … and people are always telling me how much they appreciate that she takes the time to listen and follow up and get back to them,” Kev said.
Rhonda said her mayoral achievements could not be seen in isolation.
“Big projects like the highway bypass, the new hospital and the dam all come about because a lot of people are lobbying, not just me.”
None of that happens on its own – I am surrounded by a team of good councillors, good staff and a lot of community support.
- Rhonda Hoban
To which Kev adds: “But Rhonda will take things as far and as high as possible, she doesn’t pay any attention to titles or positions.”
All that aside, Rhonda says public speaking does still make her nervous and it is at home on the farm where she is happiest – in a t-shirt and her trusty work boots.