LONG-TIME country tennis icon June Uebergang was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM), as part of the Queen’s Birthday honours for services to tennis.

June has been an integral part of the tennis community in the North East for over 40 years, both in coaching and committee roles.

June said she was shocked by the award, but deeply honoured.

“I’ve been recognised so many times for my efforts in Edi Upper in particular, and I thought I was adequately acknowledged for my efforts,” she said.

“I was given this big recognition in 2018, I got a tennis award from Tennis Victoria and two of the courts were named after me.

“I got all sorts of other awards and things too; I got life membership of Ovens and King (Tennis Association) and life membership of the club, a volunteer’s award and all sorts of things like that.

“And that, to me, was adequate - I’m very, very honoured.”

June said she wasn’t the greatest tennis player herself, but always enjoyed the sport.

“I always loved tennis right from a kid, but we didn’t have much opportunity.

"Kids’ tennis wasn’t available much, you had to wait until you were big enough to go into the seniors before you could get on the court,” she said.

“When we moved to Edi Upper is 1970, there was nothing for the kids but that wasn’t anybody’s fault or anything, there just wasn’t junior sport.

“Rosemary White, who lived out there, she was a stalwart of the district, she took me along to an Ovens and King meeting.

“I’m not sure whether there was already a junior competition running or whether they proposed it, and we said we’d put a team in.

“It all sort of stemmed from there.

“I wasn’t a wonderful tennis player or anything like that, I was reasonable but I just gave those kids a chance.

“I think probably over the 46 years I’ve probably taught about 600 kids, 500-600 I reckon.”

June has been at the heart of the Edi community off the courts as well, serving in the local CFA brigade since 1983 as well as being a volunteer and correspondent with King Valley United Football Club.

Despite being the one with the medal, June said she owes it all to the support from family and the community.

“Whatever I’ve done has not been on my own, it’s been very much supported by the tennis community and the community in general and further afield and my family in particular,” she said.

“I’d just like it known that no honour comes of your own effort, you must have that support, and I got it in spades.

“You can be as smart as you like and do all sorts of things, but if you don’t have the support behind you…

“I had the greatest support from day one.”