Public recognition doesn't sit easily with Fran Doig, so when the Wangaratta resident found out she was to receive a Medal of the Order of Australia this King's Birthday, the 89-year-old found the perfect re-direction for the focus.

"My parents were both great volunteers and loved social interaction, so I'm dedicating this award to Alf and Mary Brisbane," she said.

Fran, who was 2018's Wangaratta Citizen of the Year and after whom the Barr Reserve netball pavilion is named, said her parents never received official recognition for their community involvement, so it felt only right to accept the OAM in their honour.

"My father would find people in distress all over the place and want to do something about it, and my mother loved helping others, including making aprons for local groups," she said.

"Dad coached Combined Churches for a time, and Mum was a Guide leader; they did a lot."

Fran, her parents and two sisters moved in 1949 from Shepparton to Wangaratta, where Alf took up a role with the sewerage authority, and the family quickly became immersed in the community.

By osmosis, Fran and her sisters followed their parents' lead, helping wherever they could see a need.

"Let's face it - you don't keep doing things if you don't enjoy them, and I've really enjoyed everything I've been involved in," Fran said.

Fran's connection to the Wangaratta Netball Association is well-known.

She coached, umpired, served on the committee and volunteered for jobs like repairing and replacing uniforms from 1967 onwards, receiving a Netball Victoria distinction award in 2002, and was a foundation member in 2014 of the Wangaratta Lifeball Club, a weekly activity she relishes.

"With the netball, I was down there for 52 years, and I loved it; not too many people of my age know a lot of young people, and they keep you grounded," she said.

"Many of my friends are people I served with on the committee, and I'm very grateful for them."

Fran was glad to see the Wangaratta association receive $3 million for an upcoming facilities upgrade, and she hopes it will be followed by support for court resurfacing.

"I think the last time they were resurfaced was in about 1980, and it desperately needs doing; the poor kids are splashing through puddles when it rains," she said.

A die-hard Melbourne Vixens fan who travels to watch the team as often as possible, Fran enjoys three-way discussions with her two daughters on Sunday nights as they dissect each Super Netball round.

Add to that already full life Fran's involvement in several other aspects of the community over the years.

She has been a member of the Wangaratta Uniting Church since 1965, was involved in the church's Coffee, Craft and Childcare program, and still loves working at the Uniting Church Opp Shop in Vincent Road.

She's part of a local social justice group, has been a fundraiser for Wangaratta Go Girls Cancer Support Group, and Wangaratta's Relay for Life, and volunteered for Wangaratta Carevan.

These roles have been complemented by the connections she made as a classroom teacher at Moyhu, Markwood and Myrtleford, and as a librarian at Wangaratta West Primary School between 1972 and 2009 - a job offered to her while picking up her daughter from school one day.

"Being in the library was the best job; you can be a bit more relaxed than you are in the classroom, and I loved saying to kids, 'This is a book I think you'll really like'," she said.

"You can be a bit silly too."

Fran said the best part of being named Wangaratta Citizen of the Year in 2018 was having her handprint carved into Marmungun Rock in Apex Park, a concept devised by the late Indigenous Elder Wally Cooper.

"The Indigenous people in Wangaratta are fabulous. I went to the ceremony (for 2026 Citizen of the Year Bevan Tremellan last week) and caught up with Chris Thorne, who carved my hand on the rock, and Anita, Wally Cooper's daughter," she said.

"Being involved in that ceremony really introduced me to Indigenous culture, and it's such a privilege. I think they're wonderful, and I came home from the latest ceremony so elated."

As well as lauding her parents, Fran praised the many volunteers who support local groups.

"We are lucky to have these people, and I'm sure those groups are so grateful for them," she said.

"I'd absolutely encourage others to volunteer - it's the best thing; you fit into the group and you're not just a bystander.

"I keep thinking to myself how lucky I've been, and I'm grateful for all the things I've been able to be a part of; I am very fortunate."