Mr Melhuish has been described as a quiet achiever who, like most of  Wellington’s volunteers, also finds time to donate blood.

He was recognised for his 25 years volunteering to the Ambulance Service of NSW.

He has volunteered some 5000 hours to Ambulance work; a minimum of four hours each Tuesday night; but often called out for emergencies at any time.

He is also vigilant when it comes to maintaining his skills and places high importance on being up to date with protocol changes.

For the past 14 years he has served as a retained fire fighter in Wellington with the NSW Fire Brigade, now Fire and Rescue NSW.

He holds numerous national training competencies and is an accredited rescue operator with the State Rescue Board and is trained to attend HAZNAT incidents and regularly assists the running of the Wellington Fire Training Centre. 

He has been a Legatee for more than 16 years and in this role visits war widows, checking on their welfare and providing assistance to them.

Has been Legacy secretary and is currently providing care for three war widows, while helping to raise funds for Legacy as well.

He is a licenced Lay Minister of the Anglican church and will conduct services in town in the absence of the minister, but also conducts services around the bush churches at Curra creek and Geurie and Stuart Town.

For the last three years he has been a member of the Wellington Town Band  as a drummer.

The senor citizen was Geurie’s Malcolm McLeod, Young citizen’s Mumbil’s Dale Elliott, senior sportsperson James Cusack, young sportsperson Gabrielle Eather.

The community event of the year was the Wellington Open Garden Day.

Community awards also went to Vanessa Murray, Margaret Tierney, Graham Pullen, Norma Berry, Clare Manning, Yvonne Redfern, Thornton Brown, Wendy Harvey and Mike Augee.