By Jessica Micallef
Two Macedon Ranges residents have been appointed as officers of the Order of Australia in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours list.
Gisborne resident Elaine Millar, 79, and Kyneton resident Eric Scoble, 68, were recognised for their community service.
Ms Millar said the honour was unexpected.
“I do feel very humbled about it,” she said. “I’ve been a community person, but I never ever in my wildest dreams imagine I’d get an award for anything I’ve done.”
Ms Millar has been a member of Saint Paul’s Anglican Church in Gisborne for more than three decades.
“I love my church family and when you have people you see week by week like that, they’re part of your family,” she said.
“I worked in the parish office for 20 years as the parish administrator and I loved it.
“Then I was a volunteer at the op shop and I’m still doing that. It’s a great place to meet people. I was a participant in anything that was happening at the church.”
Ms Millar is a reporter and proof reader for the Gisborne Gazette. She has been raising money for Vision Australia for two decades.
One of Ms Millar’s “biggest loves” is the Samaritan’s Purse Christmas Box Appeal, filling up shoeboxes with Christmas gifts for disadvantaged children.
“I get more joy out of that than anything and I am hoping I can continue with that,” she said.
Mr Scoble wears Kyneton on his sleeve.
“Everything I’ve ever done for Kyneton, I’ve done it from the heart, not for the glory of it,” he said. “I was born and bred in Kyneton.”
Mr Scoble has been a member of the Kyneton Daffodil and Arts Festival for nearly four decades and has been the event’s president since 2013.
“It all started when I lost my mum years ago to cancer,” he said. “The daffodil is the symbol of cancer and that was the spark that ignited something in me.”
Mr Scoble said community involvement made him feel “very proud”.
Mr Scoble is also widely involved in the Kyneton sports community. He is a life member of the Kyneton Junior Soccer Club, was a secretary for the Kyneton Cycling Club and has been part of Kyneton Little Athletics for 20 years.
“I got two young lasses into the Oceania Games in high jump,” he said. “We used to do a lot of fundraising to make everything possible.”
