07/06/2026
Congratulations Mr Ken Martin, OAM, Coleambally
Long-time local leader and tireless volunteer Ken Martin has been recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours list, receiving the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the General Division for his monumental service to the Coleambally community.
Though now living at Googong, Mr Martin spent decades building, supporting and auditing the civic fabric of Coleambally after first moving to the town and buying a bus run. His name is permanently etched into the town’s commemorative history as the secretary-treasurer of the Coleambally RSL Sub-Branch since 1999. In this role, he organised the town’s first Anzac Day Dawn Service in 1998 and instigated its annual Remembrance Day ceremonies in 2000 – traditions that continue to bring the community together today.
Joining the Lions Club of Coleambally in 1998, Mr Martin served in every major executive role-including president, secretary, and treasurer – and was named a prestigious Melvin Jones Fellow in 2010. He also championed regional youth as the Foundation Treasurer of the Coleambally-Darlington Point Branch of the Country Education Foundation from 2009 to 2024, earning the Katie Walker Outstanding Service Award for his efforts.
An avid sportsman and administrator, Mr Martin dedicated 15 years to the board of the Coleambally Golf Club, serving as president, captain and secretary-treasurer, earning Life Membership in 2018. His sporting leadership extended across the region, where he spent 12 years as secretary-treasurer for the West Riverina District Golf Association, which awarded him Life Membership in 2015.
A man of deep faith, Mr Martin served as a Lay Member of the Bishops Council for the Anglican Diocese of Riverina and was bestowed the rare honour of Lay Canon by the Bishop in 2020.
From acting as a local Justice of the Peace since the 1980s and volunteering as a Legatee for the Griffith Legacy Club, to quietly serving as the honorary volunteer auditor for the Coleambally Rescue Squad, Maley Rural Fire Brigade and the Coleambally Men’s Shed, Mr Martin has spent a lifetime stepping up where his town needed him most.
Previously named Coleambally’s Citizen of the Year (2006) and the Riverina Electorate Volunteer of the Year (2012), his OAM is a well-deserved national tribute to a lifetime of extraordinary regional service.
