Former Noosa Mayor Bob Abbot collected his Medal of the Order of Australia from the Queensland Governor in a private ceremony on Monday.
Due to Covid-19 restrictions the ceremony included only four members of his family – his two sons, his son’s wife and his sister and the governor.
“He pinned the gong on and said thanks,” he said.
“It was quite emotional. More emotional than I thought it would be.
Mr Abbot said the presence of his partner of 18 years Sue Coburn who died 12 months ago was flashing around him and his sister was casting his father’s eye over it all.
“He would have been very proud,” he said of his father.
Sue was involved in the application for the honour but, sadly didn’t live to see it come to fruition.
Mr Abbot said the award was a physical recognition of his work but it was the comments and congratulations from people in the community that meant the most to him.
Mr Abbot was mayor of Noosa from 1997 to 2008 and mayor of Sunshine Coast from 2008 to 2012 and undefeated in every election he contested.
In 2007 he led a 10,000-strong protest march in Brisbane against the merging of Noosa, Caloundra and Maroochydore shire councils.
