Pauline Cline, 77, was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for service to the community of the Bellarine region.
After a successful 32-year career with Barclays Bank in the UK, Mrs Cline and husband Mark, a retired Royal Marine, came to Australia in 2004, settling in Clifton Springs.
Not accustomed to sitting on her laurels, Mrs Cline soon became very active in her community.
“It’s a lovely place and there’s such pleasant people around, it’s nice to get involved and see what you can do,” Mrs Cline said.
She joined Drysdale’s St James Anglican Church community immediately, becoming the fundraising organiser for the church’s restoration fund in her first year on the Bellarine and holding that position until 2018.
Mrs Cline also began donating materials for Drysdale Neighbourhood Watch in 2004, joining the organisation as its secretary from 2005 to 2011 and helping with the formation of two new groups in the area.
Throughout her years on the Bellarine Mrs Cline has helped organise projects from the building of the Drysdale Town Square Rotunda to social volleyball and raised funds for community hall refurbishments and animal welfare groups.
The cornerstone of her fundraising activities has been her locally renowned jams, chutneys and preserves, which she only learnt to cook when she arrived in Australia.
Mrs Cline said the Australia Day honour was “a complete surprise”, and not something she had ever thought about.
“It’s very gratifying; I just thought it was nice to be recognised, it’s not something you queue up for,” she said.
“You just want to make sure that you’re helping your community in the best way that you can.”
Matt Hewson
