It was a massive surprise to Geoff Porter when he was named one of seven Bathurst Living Legend inductees for 2020.
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But with his impressive contributions to construction, charity, beekeeping and volunteer firefighting over the years, there's a strong case for Mr Porter as a worthy inductee.
A fourth generation Bathurstian, Mr Porter's aspirations of being a carpenter led him to commence an apprenticeship with Hobson Bros in 1980.
"I always liked playing with timber at school, and ended up staying with Hobson Bros for 21 years," he said.
"Some of the notable projects we were contracted for include the Carrington Park grandstand and various works at Charles Sturt University [CSU]."
After Hobson Bros split into separate construction and plumbing businesses, Mr Porter took over the former and renamed it Geoff Porter Constructions in 2001, which he ran until 2018.
In addition to continued work at CSU, Mr Porter led refurbishment projects on various local schools, including MacKillop College, Assumption School and The Scots School.
"It was a good career for me and I met a lot of amazing people," he said.
"However, the role became quite stressful in later years and I don't regret my decision to step away."
It was during his later years in construction that Mr Porter got involved in the Central West Charity Tractor Trek Group, previously the Camp Quality Tractor Trek.
Mr Porter has been involved in the event since its inception in 2012, and founded the Central West Charity Tractor Trek Group in 2016 to give the event a more visible identity in the community.
"When the group was formed, we decided to change our choice of charity to Little Wings, a nonprofit organisation supporting sick children in rural and regional NSW with transport costs for treatment," he said.
"The Tractor Trek has always aimed to support children's charities, and the good thing about Little Wings is that they concentrate on the children who need it most."
The group donated over $100,000 to Little Wings last year, and Mr Porter said the thrill of the Tractor Trek extends beyond its charitable cause.
"It's a 250-kilometre journey at a speed of 21 kilometres an hour, so you get ample time to take in the people and sights," he said.
"When we see members of each community come out and cheer us on, it's a very rewarding experience."
Since retiring from the construction business, Mr Porter has devoted his time to a long-standing family passion: beekeeping.
Mr Porter bought his first lot of bees in 2008 to look after as a weekend hobby, and the trade has since become his key area of work.
"Bees play a vital role to the apiary and agricultural industry and over the years, their importance has certainly grown in the public consciousness," he said.
"To put the importance of bees into perspective, two out of three mouthfuls of food the average person eats is made possible due to pollination."
Mr Porter, along with his brothers, set up the Ted Porter Memorial Award for Champion Honey Exhibitor at the Royal Bathurst Show.
He is also an active volunteer of the Yetholme Rural Fire Brigade and, like many local firefighters, played a vital role in combating last summer's disastrous bushfires.
"The last fire season was unlike any we've seen before and, at times, we thought it was never going to end," Mr Porter said.
"It's been a tough year, and COVID-19 has further complicated matters, but if there's something I've learned about Bathurst over the years, it's no 'boom or bust' community."
Mr Porter was nominated for the Living Legend initiative by his three biggest fans: his daughters Kristine, Diana and Georgina.
