Mr Joseph has played a large role in Orana Residents of Indian Subcontinental Heritage (ORISCON) since he moved to Dubbo in 2002. He is also the founding member of Orana Region United Malaylee Association (ORUMA).

As part of his work with ORUMA, Mr Josephs assists new families when they arrive to Dubbo.

He has also held numerous fundraising events for various charities.

In his citation, Mr Joseph was described as someone who was always available to help in times of crisis and "willing to provide advice, support and assistance immediately".

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"He is keen to get involved in all community activities, no matter how big or small, and wants to ensure that all members of the Dubbo cultural community feel welcome and thrive in their city." the citation said.

Mr Joseph said it was "a bit of a surprise" to be named as the award recipient.

"It's good to be recognised but I don't like to be in the limelight. I do things in my own humble way," he said.

"The most important thing is that you can't do it alone. You try to find the right people and build their strength and involve them. It's good to see people take things on board and do it."

Mr Joseph said the award was not only good recognition for him, but the community as a whole.

"I moved to Dubbo back in 2002 because of work and at the time my wife had twins in her tummy. We thought it was a good time to say goodbye to the Sydney job and fine a nice quiet place," he said.

"When I came here there was a small Indian community, the ORISCON community. Now that association has grown quite big. There are 200 people."

While the members of ORISCON like to keep their culture alive, Mr Joseph said they also liked to get involved in "the Australian way of life".

That included recently raising money for Aussie Helpers with their children to ensure they understood the difficulty the country's farmers were facing with the ongoing drought.

Mr Joseph is also a key member of Amnesty International in Dubbo. He was integral in making the its first event a success.

"While he displays impressive leadership, organisational and empathic abilities, Jojo's greatest strength is his ability to empower others," the citation said.

The award winner said he would be celebrating his award - and his 25^th wedding anniversary - with a big family dinner.

It has been Australia's lost summer. Drought, hail, floods and, worst of all, bushfires have ravaged communities all over the nation. But the selfless actions of friends, family, neighbours, strangers, local groups and volunteer organisations have inspired us and strengthened the bonds of community. Please join us in saying thanks to the heroes of the home front by sharing your stories of gratitude. To salute a person or a group, please use the form below.