Mr Gray has volunteered for more than 35 years. As well as being president of the Dubbo RSL sub branch, he assists the elderly and various sporting clubs.

His nomination said: “Tom is held in very high regard due to his caring and community minded nature. He gives his all to the betterment of the community”.

After 26 years with the Dubbo RSL sub branch, Mr Gray took on the role of president. The role involves visiting the elderly veterans in hospital and assisting with pension and welfare needs. Mr Gray also ensures the younger returned veterans of Dubbo are being looked after with regular social catch ups.

“I feel very honoured and very privileged [to get this award]. You don’t do this stuff for awards it’s just something that you’d like to do. I don’t really think of it that way I just like to see a smile on their face whether it’s young people involved in football or someone in aged care,” Mr Gray said.

“After being in the navy for 20 years I like to see all the ex-service personnel get involved in the sub-branch to look after their welfare and just say ‘g’day mate, how are you doing?’”

For the past 17 years Mr Gray has been the coordinator of the Dubbo Day Club. The social clubs looks after the elderly residents of Dubbo.

Mr Gray take the residents out for a few hours every week to give them social interaction and their careers some respite.

The Citizen of the Year also gives his time to various sporting clubs, including the Dubbo CYMS Old Boys. Mr Gray is a life member of the Dubbo CYMS Rugby Club, Group 11 and the Dubbo Ducks.

As a retiree, Mr Gray said he had time up his sleeve and helping people was what he wanted to do.

“I’ve got a good mob of people that I work with at various parts of the community whether it’s football or aged care or people with a disability,” he said.

“You just get out there and help in the community. It all helps other people in the community who may need some support.”

Volunteering was a dying art, Mr Gray said and he would like to see more people get involved. Organisations like the Lions Clubs were already struggling to get members, he said.

Dubbo’s Citizen of the Year said he would be celebrating Australia Day with his family.

“I might even have a beer,” he said.