She has been awarded with a Medal of the Order (OAM) for her service to the visual arts, in the Grampians and Horsham areas.

The textile artist moved to Port Fairy almost two years ago.

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"I think it's great that the arts is recognised," she told The Standard.

"I feel as though that what I've done in the community of Horsham is what so many other people do.

"It's not something you do on your own, it's something you do with a group or team of people. - someone will come up with an idea, and it might not be yours, but when you work together you can achieve so much."

Ms Matthews runs a textile studio at home, while also working as the programs coordinator for GrampianArts, a Horsham-based not-for-profit organisation striving to provide opportunities for artists to extend their skills and showcase their work.

Ms Matthews has had little chance to integrate herself in the community. due to moving to Port Fairy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"It will be good once the issues around COVID are resolved and we can get back to a normal community life and be more involved in the community," she said.

"It would be great to have some more community arts presence in Port Fairy.

"There's no collection of artists in Port Fairy, so it will be really nice to be involved in something like that."

Ms Matthews said she enjoyed the creating process of working with textiles.

"I enjoy the process of combining fabrics that I've collected from varying cultures - and I say in fabric we all talk one language," she said.

"If we accepted the world like we integrate fabric we'd have a much happier world."

Ms Matthews has also worked in the welfare sector.

Rounding up the Honour's Day List of locals are: OAMs for Branxholme farmer James William Gough for service to the livestock industry, Barongarook's Carmel Bernadette O'Brien for service to nursing, the late Beverley Pepper of Tahara for service to the local community of Coleraine and an AM for Bookaar business leader Alison Watkins for significant service to business through leadership roles with a range of organisations.

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