At most emergencies in the Upper Murray in the past 40 years you would find Mary Hoodless, pitching in to help wherever it was needed.
The Jingellic resident’s lifelong commitment to the wellbeing of her community has now been recognised with an award in the King’s Birthday Honours List.
Mrs Hoodless has been appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the General Division for her significant service to regional development and the communities of the Riverina and Murray regions.
Mrs Hoodless’s civic involvement in the region began in the 1980s as a remote nurse and midwife, a role she fulfilled for 15 years.
She moved into health care administration, serving as the director of Community Services for Upper Murray Health and Community Services from 1995 to 2010, where she was instrumental in establishing it as a Multi Purpose Service incorporating a new aged care facility.
Her leadership abilities enabled a transition into regional development and governance and she founded Karoo Consultancy. She partners with councils, boards, agencies, not-for-profits and communities to translate conversations into decisions and decisions into delivery.
Mrs Hoodless has also chaired Regional Development Australia (RDA) Murray from 2019 to 2025 and served as a director for Destination Riverina Murray.
Her dedication to her community was evident during and after the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires.
She was not only involved on the ground serving with the Jingellic Rural Fire Brigade, she co-founded the Jingellic Bushfire Recovery Committee and was the co-ordinator for broader recovery efforts.
Her commitment during the disaster earned her the National Emergency Medal, the NSW Premier’s Bushfire Emergency Citation and 2019 Australia Day Special Achievement Award from Snowy Valleys Council. In 2029 she was also awarded the NSW Rural Fire Service: 40-year Long Service Medal.
Her other roles have included being the former treasurer for the Friends of Walwa Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), president of the Jingellic Hub, an Honorary Fellow at the University of Melbourne and lecturer at Wodonga TAFE as well as publishing extensively in international health journals.
Mrs Hoodless said “I’m deeply honoured, surprised and incredibly humbled by the award and while it has my name on it, I see it as recognition for all of our community.
“It’s just so heartwarming to belong to a community where people will step forward to look after each other in tough times but also celebrate the excitement and get engaged in community projects that really make a difference.
This article appeared in Corryong Courier, 11 June 2026.
