Others think differently, though, because the 93-year-old has received an OAM (Medal of the Order of Australia) in the latest Australia Day Honours List.

It follows Mr Purdon being named one of the first Bathurst Living Legends during the city's bicentenary celebrations in 2015.

"I didn't do anything spectacular or anything like that. It just had to be done, so I was on hand a lot to do it," Mr Purdon said, with understatement, about his many years of work with the Bathurst Eisteddfod Society and Bathurst Carillon Theatrical Society.

He was a committee member with the Bathurst Eisteddfod Society from 1999 to 2019, a volunteer member from 1959 to 1999 and was given life membership in 2001.

For the Carillon Theatrical Society, Mr Purdon was stage manager from 1969 to 1999 and a volunteer with the backstage crew from 1960 to 1969.

Interviewed by the Western Advocate in 2010 to mark his 50 years of volunteering at the Bathurst Eisteddfod, Mr Purdon said he became involved in the competition when his children started to dance in the annual event.

He said he started helping out backstage and had been volunteering ever since, because once his children were grown, his grandchildren took to the stage.

"Over the years I got to know generations of kids and their parents," he said at the time. "It has been a good thing for me."

He told the Advocate in 2010 that competing in the eisteddfod was of great benefit to the city's young people.

"It makes them more confident and there are always the few that go on to become really famous at what they do," he said. "Bathurst has had quite a few of those over the years.

"Without the help of volunteers, it would be practically impossible to put the eisteddfod on."

Thirteen years on, Mr Purdon's daughter Kathryn Donnelly told the Advocate that her now 93-year-old dad was still involved with the eisteddfod until relatively recently.

"He's seen families have families and then their kids dancing [at the eisteddfod] as well," she said.

"I think every person in Bathurst knows him."

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Apart from his involvement with the eisteddfod and Carillon Theatrical Society groups, Mr Purdon also spent 40 years as a train driver, including driving the pilot train when the Queen visited the region in 1954.

Ms Donnelly said her dad had been very generous with his time over many years.

"He was always helping other people," she said. "Always."

Mr Purdon's OAM is for "service to the community of Bathurst".

Anyone can nominate any Australian for an award in the Order of Australia. If you know someone worthy, nominate them at www.gg.gov.au.

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