On Wednesday during a special lunch at the Gemini Hotel, Pat Cox, Melissa Brown, Gloria Tappi, Olga Forner, Maria Pascoli and Val Rowe were announced as the top lot from the 80 nominated.

Eighty-three-year-ol d Mrs Pascoli, who acts as a translator for the Italian community, humbly accepted her award.

“I feel that I don’t deserve this because I love to do what I do,” she said.

“I'm proud to live in Griffith. It’s a real hometown where people still help each other. I just hope we can get more people to work together.”

Guest speakers Carolyn Groat and Danielle Kirby had the crowd of 120 mesmerised, as they told their inspiring life stories.

Carolyn, a farmer’s wife and mother of three, described herself as “just an ordinary girl who is blessed and lucky”. She spoke passionately about life on and off the land.

“You get out of life what you put into it,” she said.

“Life on the land is not all hardship, even in hard times it can be very rewarding.”

Danielle told how despite having a life of illness, she manages to keep smiling.