Pambula's Frank Davey receives Order of Australia Medal as part of King's Birthday honours

Frank sat on his faded-green fabric recliner, watching the sport; as he and his wife are lovers of the footy.

Lifting up his phone, Frank began scrolling through his emails before clicking one titled 'Order of Australia - Acceptance of proposed award.'

"This is definitely a scam," Frank said, turning to his wife of 52 years.

It wasn't.

Frank had been named in The King's Birthday 2023 Honours List which recognises and celebrates distinguished and conspicuous service, and for him, it was for service to the communities of Merimbula and Pambula.

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"[It's the] last thing you've got your mind on," the 77-year old said, having found out he had been named for an Order of Australia (OAM) Medal.

"Small communities are good, there's plenty of range to do stuff.

"I've never lived in a big city, not to that degree, but if you were in a city you might find that you belong to an organisation that does 'that'.

"In a smaller community, there is a need for people to put their hand up, 'Oh I can do that, I only need to go down the street.'"

After leaving Wagga and arriving in Pambula in 1981 for a three-day bricklaying job, 42-years later Frank is still in Pambula calling this place home.

"We're so lucky we live in the best place in the world, I reckon. Very fortunate to be here and be able to be here," he said with a smile.

Only recently, Frank was asked how to get involved in different community events and organisations, and his answer was simple and frank.

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"In '82 I was driving past the footy ground at Pambula, and the bloke was down there running the kids around. I went to see if he wants a hand," he said.

"He did, and then he left and left me all the gear, so I was actually running the minor rugby league, and didn't know anyone.

"Things like that could happen to anyone. People tell you stuff, and you just do stuff."

Frank has done a great deal for Pambula and Merimbula during his life on the sapphire coast.

For Merimbula Pambula Junior Bulldogs Rugby League Club, he was the former junior president and junior head coach. He is a life member, was senior president since 2018, a senior coach in 1988, and an under-18s coach from 1983-1987 and 1992-1996.

Frank's efforts in helping out the Pambula Surf Lifesaving club haven't gone unnoticed either.

When his two children Justine and Taryn were old enough, Frank said, "You've got to join the surf club. You live near the ocean, you've got to know what goes on."

Frank was the former president, former club official, former Nippers president and coach, founding member of Special Nippers (Same Wave Program), helped to build the clubhouse with his bricklaying and masonry, and is a current patrol captain.

"You're trained to do it, so you can do it. It's like I was a bricklayer, so I was trained to lay bricks. Trained to be a patrol captain, so you can be a patrol captain," he said.

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He received his 30-year service award from Surf Life Saving Australia in 2020, and is a life member of the South Coast Surf Lifesaving association and a director of youth development.

With the St Vincent de Paul Society, Frank is the current president of the Merimbula Conference Program, and has been a member since 2007. He has volunteered with the Merimbula Opportunity Shop since the early 2000s.

With The Catholic Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn, Frank is a volunteer for St. Peter's Church in Pambula and St. Joseph's Church in Merimbula.

He is the past president of Pambula Community Swimming Pool, and part of the building committee as a bricklaying coordinator, and is a committee member of Pambula Tennis Club.

Frank has also received the Pambula CWA Community Volunteer of the Year Award, Bega Valley Shire Community Service Award, and Merimbula Rotary Paul Harris Fellow.

"I have plenty of time, and most of the stuff that I do, I can actually do. So I don't think I am reaching outside my comfort zone too much," he said.

"You're limited to what you can do.

"Mathematics isn't my strong point, so I'd never be somebody's treasurer."

On Monday, June 12, Frank Davey awoke to a bowl of cereal, the same concoction and combination of Weet-bix, all-bran and cinnamon, that he has on the daily, though, this weekday something was different.

Frank's secret was out, the public were going to be notified that his name was going to be spelt with three more letters: O, A, and M, or at least become known that he had been nominated for the prestigious honour of an Order of Australia Medal.

"I often wondered about that, whether you tack them on the end or something like that," Frank humbly said with a laugh.

"Ahhh, not really excited I'd say, it's probably not the right word for somebody my age.

"You don't get excited, it causes problems with your heart. I'm honoured, grateful, it's definitely unexpected.

"Realistically, it's just doing stuff."

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