On Tuesday night, the Port Fairy volunteer was presented with an Australian Museums and Galleries Association (AMaGA) excellence award.

Mrs Kershaw has been a member of the Port Fairy Historical Society since 1994, including 25 years as a committee member.

This service has included four separate stints as president, nine years as secretary and 12 months as treasurer.

Her stint as treasurer was cut short when she was needed to step up into the presidency.

Ironically, it was her husband Graeme who stepped up as her replacement as treasurer, a role he still maintains some 16 years later.

Mrs Kershaw said she was thrilled to receive the award.

"It's absolutely fantastic to be acknowledged by anyone, but to be acknowledged by people working professionally in the field is very special," Mrs Kershaw said.

"It was a huge surprise, I was totally gobsmacked when I was contacted to say I had won the award.

"I didn't even realise I had been nominated."

As well as her service to Port Fairy, Mrs Kershaw has also had an impact on collection and restoration of history in the south-west beyond the town, having served four terms as president of the Western Victorian Association of Historical Societies.

Mrs Kershaw said history had never failed to intrigue her.

"People think history is what you know about, but there is always more to discover," she said.

"It's an ongoing puzzle and getting all the pieces to put together is why it is so much fun.

"Because we are finding different stuff all the time, it keeps things fresh and interesting.

"We have a wonderful history society in Port Fairy and it is the people you work with that make it such a special thing to be a part of."

Warrnambool Art Gallery's Maar Nation Gallery also won an AMaGA in the small museums/galleries category.