Margaret Mansfield's dedication to Lightning Ridge is evident in the dozens of bougainvilleas quietly springing to life along Bill O'Brien's Way.
But it is also the many hours of volunteer work for various clubs and committees around the town that is being recognised in her nomination for Volunteer of the Year and Citizen of the Year in the local 2004 Australia Day awards.
Mrs Mansfield said she was very surprised to hear of her nomination.
"I don't know who nominated me, I'm quite honoured," she said.
Mrs Mansfield is the secretary of the Improvement and Beautification Committee (IBC), which works to make Lightning Ridge a more attractive town.
"We've got a very small committee but it's a good working committee, and it involves trying to fund projects for the community like the bougainvillea way, the development of the park at the Lions Park, and whatever other projects we think will add to the benefit of the community in some way," she said.
Mrs Mansfield's individual work on the committee involves planting and weeding the bougainvilleas, organising people on community service, talking to local nurseries and suppliers and purchasing and replacing plants.
She also grows plants to be sold for several charities around town.
She said she was overjoyed at the amount of rain that fell recently and the effect it will have on the plants.
"It's just fabulous, it puts a smile on everybody's face to see it rain like that, and it just makes the weeds so easy to pull out."
Mrs Mansfield is also a member of the Soroptimists International of Lightning Ridge, which works to support both local and international charities.
"At the moment I'm working on trying to get a Soroptomists project up as a federation project. The Lightning Ridge Soroptomists have been supporting the Operations for Orphans charity since May or June last year and in October they suggested we put the project up as a federation project, and then all Soroptomists clubs in the south west Pacific area would be invited to take it on too, if it's chosen as the project. It's taken a long time actually, there are a lot of forms to fill in," she said.
Mrs Mansfield is also the treasurer of the Lightning Ridge Community Church, which involves meeting every week and looking through the affairs of the church.
She also organised the Prospector, the local telephone directory, which raises money for the church.
They are currently trying to build up funds for a Sunday school hall.
Mrs Mansfield said her greatest achievement recently had been getting tourist signage for the turnoff into town.
"That was the start of the IBC, it started to get signage out there or some sort of icon, and it finally happened. It's a real thrill. They've given permission so we hope it will happen. That should be a big boost to the tourism to have that brown and white signage," she said.
Her major plan for this year is developing the Lions Park Gardens
"We've had some money donated. It's only to build the gate pillars, but it's a start, providing the shire's got the money allocated to us in the budget for water, we'll be able to make a start.
"I want the shops to be able to have more tourists, and the community not to lose any more services or shops. I've just seen for the past three or four years how hard it's been for people to make a living.
"We've got this climate that's against us through the summer, so people who open business have to be aware that through December January and February there's going to be limited clientele. If they can get through then hopefully we can boost the tourism, which is what the town's been on about is to get more tourists to the town to make it more viable."
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