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Fay is a pillar of her community

July 31, 2024
Fay has become a Member of the Order of Australia in the King's Birthday Honours. She is on the deck of her home in Wynyard. She is pointing to flowering bushes in her garden.

Anglicare aged care services client Fay Reeve (95) of Wynyard, is well known in her local community for her leadership and commitment to service. In June she was recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours List and became a Member of the Order of Australia.

“It was such a shock when I first got a phone call from the Governor-General’s office back in March,” she recalls.  “I thought, could this really be true? I was very apprehensive about it. Then I got a letter explaining it all and now I can put the letters AM after my name!”

Fay and her young family were living at Boat Harbour in 1962 when she was invited to set up and lead a group of Girl Guides in the local area. Over the years she rose up the ranks to become Division Commissioner, with responsibility for a huge area spanning the North West and West Coasts and including King Island.

In 1965 Fay joined the St John Ambulance Brigade, taking on roles from private to superintendent, and as a supervisor of first aid training. In 1976 she won the individual title at the national St John Ambulance first aid championships. In 1999 she was invested as a Dame of Grace of the Order of St John.

Fay previously served as a board member of the North West Regional Hospital and as chair of the Wynyard Tulip Festival. She has also been involved with a local garden club, the Wonders of Wynyard visitor information centre and the School for Seniors in Burnie. She is a recipient of the highest award in Rotary, the Paul Harris Award, and was inducted into the Tasmanian Honour Roll of Women in 2005.

Fay has been a client of Anglicare’s aged care services for 13 years. These days she prepares and cooks her own meals and does the laundry and ironing, but she appreciates the assistance she receives with cleaning tasks and gardening: “Everyone is fantastic, they’re all very friendly, polite and respectful,” she said.

Fay’s days are full. She attends meetings for Girl Guides and her local historical society, devours library books and oversees her garden.

Life has become even busier since she received her award. “I’ve hardly stopped since, I’ve been so busy,” she laughs.

“It keeps me out of mischief and off the streets! I’m turning 96 in August – how did that happen?”

 

Find out more about Anglicare’s aged care services here. 

Picture courtesy David Bellamy, The Advocate

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