Queen's Birthday Honours: Peter Florance's legacy of service to his community

However, given the breadth of his community service it's not hard to see why he has been appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2022 Queen's Birthday Honours List.

The retired Army colonel was included in this week's honours for "significant service to veterans and their families, and to the community".

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Many would know of Mr Florance's work with Legacy, particularly for his advocacy role on pensions for veterans and their families.

However, his roots in the Far South Coast community go much deeper, and likely more than most realise.

He has been a past captain of the Numbugga Rural Fire Brigade, a member of the Bemboka Show Society, a supporter and volunteer at the Bega Historical Society, a member of Sapphire Coast Community Aged Care, and chairman of the Bega Valley Social Planning Committee during the period of council administration in the early 2000s.

Mr Florance has served as vice-president and president of the Bega RSL sub-branch prior to his current membership of the Candelo RSL sub-branch, and was a member of the Bemboka Anzac Day committee and past emcee of Anzac services in Bega

He was also among the founders - and is now a life member - of the Sapphire Coast Producers Association in 2000.

Again he reiterated the founding of a horticultural group for the district was a group effort, while also joking about his suitability as its founding secretary and drafter of its constitution.

"I soon discovered I wasn't cut out to grow things," he said with a chuckle.

"But I take great pleasure in walking through Littleton Gardens on Fridays [when the SCPA Markets are held] - we must've done something right."

However it's his long-time advocacy on behalf of veterans and their families where he has dedicated much of his time since retiring from the Army in 1992.

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Mr Florance said he first joined Sydney Legacy in 1986 and was also a member of Canberra Legacy before moving to Numbugga in the Bega Valley in 1992.

He has served as president and vice-president of the Legacy Club of Wollongong and South Coast on several occasions, was chairman of Legacy Australia's NSW State Pensions Committee from 2004-12 and then chair of the National Pensions Committee from 2012-15.

He was a founder of the Far South Coast Ex-service Pension Support Centre and chairman of the Bega Legacy Group for more than a decade.

"I served in Vietnam and lost friends there. I was a logisitician, not a soldier, so when I retired I really wanted to continue making that effort to support others," Mr Florance said.

"In Legacy we don't seek accolades like this [the Queen's Birthday AM], we're not a member to gain benefit. It's mates helping mates' families."

He said his interest primarily lay in pensions advocacy work, liaising with the Department of Veterans Affairs and talking policy issues with government.

Even a lot of his other roles, like joining Sapphire Coast Aged Care, were in order to ensure veterans' families were heard and supported.

"Getting involved in the community was very important to me and I enjoy it.

"But I never did any of it on my own. I've worked well with a lot of different people over the years."

Among many others, Mr Florance named Bruce Crane as a close friend and someone with whom he made a great team within Legacy, and well-known Vietnam veteran Frank Hunt with whom he worked closely on veterans' support programs.

"I looked at Frank and saw what I wanted to do - Frank is a hero of mine.

"I'm just one of a group of people who concentrated on support and advocacy of families of veterans.

"That's one thing about moving to the country - if you get involved, people appreciate it and help out.

"We've had a marvellous life in the Valley."