IT WAS a quiet afternoon at home at Wandaloo, roughly 20km from Miles, and Jennie Hill was out the back in her favourite chair, going through the mail.

She picked up a nondescript envelope and opened it, and was incredibly surprised, as most of us would be, to find the Governor General's office asking whether she would accept an Order of Australia Medal.

Sitting down with the Chinchilla News on Sunday afternoon, Mrs Hill reiterated how humbled she was by the honour, which was announced to the nation this morning.

Mrs Hill, now 64, has been a member of the Country Women's Association since 1970, and rose through the ranks to become state president from 2011-2013, in addition to holding numerous other offices along the way.

It would appear that achievement, in addition to the untold number of community organisations she has served over the years, were the reasons behind her nomination for the OAM.

While conceding that yes, it is nice to be recognised, she points to the huge number of people in all the different communities

that make up Australia who are doing the exact same thing, just without the accolades.

"There are literally thousands of people who never get the recognition they should for the work they do in community organisations,” she said.

"Because... for small communities, it's the community organisations that keep the community going.”

The desire to serve the community was instilled in her from a very young age by her father, Terry Barnett.

Her family moved to Gloucester when she was 10, and she grew up there, went to school there, and that's where she met her husband, Joe.

She joined the CWA at the age of 18, and was married at the age of 20.

Three months after her wedding, Mrs Hill's world changed.

Crossing a river that was an access to her family's property on a flying fox, one of the cables snapped and she fell onto the riverbank, breaking her back.

"So then I spent the next five months in hospital in Sydney,” she said.

"I had to learn to walk again.”

It was quite a challenge, in more ways than one, Mrs Hill said, laughing.

"But anyway, you just get on with things... I guess that's always been my philosophy in life: Pick yourself up and get on with the next thing,” she said.

It's an attitude that she reckons has served her well through all the community groups she's been a part of.

"If it's there to be done then you've just got to do it,” she said.

"CWA state president was the most challenging position. The others are smaller but you've still got to make time to do things properly.”

Mrs Hill moved to the region from Gloucester in 1999 and immediately joined the CWA's Miles Branch, where she is currently branch president.

"The CWA has changed over the years but what I've enjoyed is mainly the friendship but also the knowledge that we're always there to help people with our drought assistance and all the other things we do,” she said.

In between her various and extensive commitments, Mrs Hill still finds time to help her son and husband out on their angus cattle stud, where they run about 150 head of breeders.

She scoots around their 809 hectare 2000 acre property, nestled against Columboola Creek, on a quad bike.

With the OAM under her belt, Mrs Hill has no intention of resting on her laurels.

"I'll keep doing things in the community for as long as I'm physically able to do it,” she said.

"You've sorta gotta learn to use your energy wisely...

" But while ever I can help out in community groups, I'm there to do it.”