When you reflect on the amount of work Mr McDonald did for his community it's easy to see why he was named in the Australia Day honours list.

Mr McDonald receives a posthumous OAM for his service to the community.

His wife Ann will receive the award on behalf of her husband.

Their sons Brett and Garry, extended family and their many friends will also be proud of Mr McDonald's award.

"They will be absolutely stoked," Mrs McDonald said when asked about what their sons' reaction will be.

The couple's third son, David, is sadly deceased.

The bittersweet thing about the award is that Mr McDonald passed away on March 3, 2021.

Mrs McDonald laughed when she was asked about how Allan would react to the award.

"He would have said 'this is bullshit - what did I do to deserve this award?'," Mrs McDonald said.

Well Mr McDonald you did a lot of work for your community and that is why you deserve this award.

Mr McDonald was very much a team player and had a long and successful involvement with the Lions Club of Ulladulla Milton Incorporated.

He was president, on seven occasions including [2012-2017, 2011-2012, 1998-2000 and 1994-1995] and vice-president on seven occasions and secretary, five occasions - just to name a few of the roles he took on.

Mr McDonald was always happy to take on roles to help newer members of the club get settled.

He liked the Lions Club because their ethos was about community work - not so much about meetings.

"For Allan it was all about helping the community," Mrs McDonald said.

His achievements are remarkable and include, along with Greg Best, helping set up the "Jindelara Disability Respite House Project" which aims to provide a quality short-term residential facility for young people with disabilities.

The facility will provide much-needed respite for their carers so that they can rest and recharge.

Mr McDonald also worked hard to get the club's new base in Ulladulla, the Lions Den, built.

"He worked his butt off to get that building [the Lions Den] built," Mrs McDonald said.

"Allan was up all hours finding grants and was there 24/7 building it.

"He played a key role in getting the Lions Den to where it's today."

It was not only big projects that Mr McDonald took part in.

He once heard that a local resident was having difficulty getting into her home and so Mr McDonald and a Lions work crew built her a ramp.

Mr McDonald was a tireless worker for the community.

"He did not know the meaning of rest," Mr McDonald said.

It comes with no surprise to find out that Mr McDonald received other awards.

He won the Max Bayliss Community Award, Milton-Ulladulla Rotary Club, 2009, the Ian Stockdale Humanitarian Award, Australian Lions Foundation, 2019 and 2007 and Melvin Jones Fellowship, 1996 and on two further occasions.

He was also in the Neighbourhood Watch for 10 years

Mr and Mrs McDonald were married for 52 years.

Meanwhile, Lake Conjola resident Carmel Donnelly receives a Public Service Medal for outstanding public service to regulatory reforms in SW

Ms Donnelly's public service career is extensive, most recently serving as the first dedicated Chief Executive Officer at the State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA).

Throughout her career, Ms Donnelly made significant contributions to improve financial, economic, health and social outcomes for people in New South Wales.

Ms Donnelly built SIRA into a trusted, effective and independent regulator of statutory insurance schemes that prioritised the interests of injured people and policy holders, and held insurers accountable for their performance and public outcomes.

Following the Hayne Royal Commission, Ms Donnelly established ten Regulatory Approach Principles to guide SIRA's regulatory approach and inform stakeholders of its focus, how decisions were made, and how it would engage on matters of scheme design and compliance. She also introduced Customer Service Conduct Principles to ensure that insurers delivered customer service to meet community expectations.

Her focus was on achieving the best possible outcomes for injured people and compliance with the law.

Ms Donnelly led the delivery of the 2017 CTP Green Slip reform package, returning $300 million to NSW vehicle owners through reduced premiums and extended benefits for people injured in a motor vehicle accident.

She worked to consistently improve public trust and transparency in the NSW personal injury schemes, and in 2019 she commenced publishing information about SIRA's compliance and enforcement action.

Ms Donnelly was an early advocate for mentally healthy workplaces, employees with a disability, and Indigenous people in the public service.

She is renowned as a leader with unrivalled integrity and a passion for improving outcomes. Her courage, resilience and collaborative approach, combined with a steadfast commitment to public service have underpinned her impact as a public sector leader.