Father Bob's words linger for Order of Australia recipient Paul Brophy

Paul Brophy, 66, was awarded an OAM for his service to aged welfare and the community.

"There are so many people who are far more deserving than I am," Mr Brophy told The Standard.

"I'm just Paul from Port Fairy."

Mr Brophy, who now lives in Melbourne, said his passion for giving back to the community and helping others came from watching his father John, who was the manager of the Port Fairy Hospital.

He is the chief executive officer of the Bob Maguire Foundation, a role he has held since 2018.

Mr Brophy said he had been working at an aged care facility in Melbourne and hosting social events for residents from facilities across the city when he asked Father Bob to come along to an event.

At the time, there was a restructure at the facility he was working at and Father Bob said "will you come down and look after the foundation?"

Mr Brophy said it was a decision he had never regretted.

He said Father Bob was a mentor and a great friend who treated every person he met with kindness.

"Everybody got the same treatment," Mr Brophy said.

"We're all singing from the same hymn book - so to speak - just a different page."

Mr Brophy said Father Bob always took the opportunity to ask people to help those who were less fortunate than they were.

"He would say 'Paul if they just want to come in and slap my hand, we don't want them, we want them to do something'."

Mr Brophy said Father Bob did not care about money or material items - he just saw them as a "means to an end" to achieve his goal of helping others.

He said Father Bob believed in second chances and getting to the root of the problem.

"If he heard about someone allegedly possessing drugs he would say 'get down there Paul and make sure they have Legal Aid'."

Mr Brophy said he missed his friend and was determined to help the foundation carry on Father Bob's legacy.

He can still hear Father Bob's words in his head: "Get on with it Paul, if I'm not here, you've got to keep going".

Mr Brophy said he regularly visited Port Fairy to catch up with friends, including Reg Harry.

"I love Port Fairy - I'm still a country boy," he said.

Mr Brophy joins a war historian, a musician and a fire communications officer, who were recognised in the 2024 Australia Day Honours.