Two lifetimes of volunteer service have been recognised with Order of Australia Medals awarded to husband and wife team Ken and Cath Birkett of Mooroopna.
Their dedication to community service includes years of involvement in clubs, groups, societies, schools and charities.
Mrs Birkett has been a member of the Girl Guides movement since she was a teenager and was a member of the state council from 1986-2001. Her other Guiding roles include Regional Commissioner for the Goulburn Valley from 1981-1986; district commissioner at East Doncaster and Victorian State Advisor, Lone Guides, Girl Guides Australia.
As well as her service to the Guiding movement, Mrs Birkett has represented the Goulburn Valley and Mooroopna branches of Australian Red Cross in various roles and was a founding member of the GV Branch of the Australian Bone Marrow Donors Registry.
A retired manufacturing manager at Ardmona foods, Mr Birkett's contributions include a 40-year membership of the Rotary Club of Mooroopna, including serving as president from 1987-1988.
He has been vice president and treasurer of the Association of Independent Retirees Goulburn Valley; a founding member of the Mooroopna Men's Shed; and the founding president of the GV branch of the Australian Bone Marrow Donor Registry from 1991-2010.
Mr Birkett has also been a Girl Guides volunteer for 50 years, founder of the Mooroopna Minkies hockey team, a Shepparton Theatre Arts Group volunteer, a Shepparton Restoration Car Club member for 15 years, a parent helper at Wanganui Park Secondary School and a member of the Doncaster East Kindergarten Building and Maintenance Committee.
Originally from Melbourne, Mr Birkett said he and his wife had always operated as a team.
“It just comes naturally. Fundraising and involvement comes from seeing a need, getting people together and fixing things,” he said.
He said his proudest achievement was the founding of the Goulburn Valley's first registry for bone marrow donors in 1991.
“We had someone from the Bone Marrow Donor Registry up to speak at Rotary and we were blown away. He'd lost a son to bone cancer - Cath and I looked at each other and said ‘we've got to do something’," Mr Birkett said.
A public meeting was called which enlisted 50 registrations and became the foundation of the GV branch of the nationwide Bone Marrow Donor Registry, which became the Fight Cancer Foundation.
Mrs Birkett said her lifelong commitment to the Guiding movement stemmed from a determination to help young girls.
“So many young women had something fantastic in them, but they didn't know how to express it. Being a Girl Guide gave them confidence and skills and helped them become useful citizens,” she said.
Both aged 85, Mr and Mrs Birkett said they were humbled by their Queen's Birthday honours.
“We hope it means something to all the people who have helped us - family and friends. We have always worked as a team. Teams get things done,” Mr Birkett said.
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