"I joked with a friend last night that you can die when you get this award," she said. "I am just so, so surprised.

"Volunteers really are the soul of this country."

The Tanilba Bay resident has spent 35 years helping make the Tilligerry Peninsula a better place to live through a host of community groups including Tidy Towns, Tanilba Bay Parks, Reserves and Hall Committees and the Rural Fire Service.

Ms Corner was also principal of the Williamtown Public School for almost 25 years.

Her Australia Day wish was, not surprisingly, for the betterment of her community, particularly its relationship with Port Stephens Council.

"I just hope council and the community can work together. I don't want the community to feel like they have to just shut up," Ms Corner said.

The young citizen of the year award went to a 24-year-old with a vision for the Terrace's Lakeside youth community.

Reece Moynihan established an action group to raise funds for a half basketball court at Lakeside and secured a government grant of $25,000 to make it happen.

"I just realised there was nothing for kids in Lakeside," he said.

"And they were all getting around with basketballs, so I thought we needed to do something."

The third major award for the day was the community event of the year, which went to the Rotary Club of Nelson Bay for its annual charity golf day.

Hundreds gathered on the waterfront at Raymond Terrace to celebrate Australia Day, recognise the Port's most valuable citizens and welcome in a host of new Australian citizens.

"We come down every year, Australia Day means a lot to us," Megan Doudle, who attended the day with her husband and two children, said. There was also a solid turnout at Fly Point for Nelson Bay's Australia Day activities hosted by Port Stephens deputy mayor Bob Westbury.

Australia Day honours for two: see page 2.