Audrey was nominated for her tireless dedication to her community and over 15 years of service as a member of the Guyra Shire Council, of which she is deputy mayor.

She said she received the nomination letter in early December, and accepted. Never believing she might receive the award, Audrey said she was thrilled people felt she had contributed enough to deserve such an honour.

“I’d love to thank the people that nominated me, very much and I’m really honoured that they thought enough of me to do that,” Audrey said.

Audrey vibrates with energy and shows no sign of stopping though she will celebrate her 75th birthday this Friday. 

She grew up on a property on the Guyra Road, was educated early at the historic Chellas School and finished her education at Tingha High. At 15, she worked as a nanny in Graman but felt lonely, so travelled back to Inverell where she took up work with a stock and station agent. 

At a mystery night, the man beside her was challenged to ask the girl next to him for a date at the pictures. That was Herb McArdle, and the two have been inseparable ever since producing three beloved children.

Audrey’s work in Tingha has been life-long, and said it may have been her mother’s own dedication to the church that inspired her. 

“I don’t do it to get awards; I do it to help the community and do things for the community,” she said.

Those things include a deep dedication to keeping the Tingha RSL sub-branch alive, her years supporting the local Catholic Church, her work within Tingha public school that totals about 40 years of service as a catechism teacher, her role as an officer with the Tingha Bowling Club.

At the time when Guyra Shire was divided into wards, Audrey was nominated to replace one of the Tingha retiring representatives.

“And I said who’s going to take you place?’ and he said, ‘You are,’” Audrey said. She has been a committed member in the years since.

She serves as secretary for on the Tingha Hospital Auxiliary and said she battled for the modern Tingha multi-purpose services health facility.  

“I fought to get that MPS built because they weren’t going to give us anything. They were knocking our old hospital down and not giving us anything.”

Tingha remains home for the McArdles, and when people ask Audrey why they stay in such a small town, she has a definitive answer

“Look, we’ve loved the place. We’ve had opportunities to leave lots of time, but we wouldn’t leave.”.