WHEN Joyce Rieck sent her twin daughters off to university in 1987, the mother of five discovered she had all of a sudden become an empty-nester.

Her three sons had already gone to pursue their careers and idleness was not a comfortable feeling for a hard-working mind first developed while growing up on a dairy farm.

Mrs Rieck decided to dedicate her new-found free time to the construction of a community-aged care home the town had campaigned for since the '70s.

She became a committee member on what was then called the Rosewood Aged People's Home committee as it was being constructed. It welcomed its first residents about six months after she first volunteered.

Almost 30 years later, her work at Cabanda Care has seen her awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in the 2016 Australia Day honours.

The 77-year-old has had to keep the honour secret from her five children and 15 grand children.

She could not hide her surprise, or humility, when she sat down with the QT ahead of receiving the medal.

"It really makes me feel a bit embarrassed," she said.

"There are lots of people, in this community and other communities, who do as much as I do and more."

Mrs Rieck served as board secretary at Cabanda for most of her 29 years as a volunteer. The board's role is now a strategic one, to help guide Rosewood's largest employer and one of the few examples of a community-owned aged care centre in Australia.

Cabanda now employs more than 100 people and is in the midst of a $3 million upgrade to the original building.

Mrs Rieck has not limited her volunteer work to Cabanda.

She has been in integral part of Rosewood's Meals on Wheels program since its beginning decades ago, cooking and delivering the meals.

She is still a volunteer in the program.

Her time also goes into many volunteer roles at Rosewood Uniting Church, including time spent working the register at the church op shop.

She credits her husband Arnold, himself a volunteer and conservationist, for helping her through her work.

They married in 1960.

"I haven't been able to spend the time on doing all these things that I have if I didn't have Arnold's full support," she said.

Flinders View man Dr Vlasis Efstathis OAM is Ipswich's other honouree in the 2016 Australia Day honours.

He has a long history of service to the Ipswich health sector, St John Ambulance and the Australian Defence Force.

Dr Efstathis today becomes a member in the general division of the Order of Australia.