Ms Sullivan, who was born in Bathurst and attended Diocesan Catholic Girls High School (now MacKillop College), will be awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) General Division.

Ms Sullivan has a property at Rockley where she spends as much time as possible.

She was the architect of the Macquarie 2010 Bicentenary celebrations, putting the idea to the NSW Government in 2000 and also voluntarily serving as Founding Chair of the Macquarie 2010 Bicentenary Celebrations Committee from 2003 to 2009, when NSW Premier Nathan Rees established the Premier’s Macquarie 2010 Committee, to which she was appointed.

“This is a wonderful thing. Some incredible people, including my family, got behind me and made it happen,” she said.

“Growing up in Bathurst I was raised on a diet of Macquarie’s achievements.

“I got my passion for Macquarie when I was nine years old.

“What excites me about this award is that at the end of a 12-year career Governor Macquarie was pilloried by the British government and I wanted to make sure his work and reputation were vindicated, along with the relentless efforts of his wife Elizabeth, who made a major contribution to the foundation of a civil society in Australia.

“When they arrived there were no roads or proper buildings. Macquarie established the first bank, schools, lighthouses, newspapers, Hyde Park Barracks, Hyde Park itself and numerous churches.

“Prior to that it was just a penal colony. The whole idea of urban planning is down to him.

“It is fantastic to have his work recognised and it’s not over yet – there will be further Bicentennial celebrations across the state.”

Ms Sullivan said Governor Macquarie held the first Australia Day, which he called Foundation Day, on the 30th anniversary of white settlement. It later became known as Australia Day. She will be presented with her Medal of the Order of Australia at Government House in Sydney later in the year.