A passion for tourism, business and a strong dedication to the community has led to Janette Hyde being awarded a prestigious honour - a medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to the community of Port Macquarie.
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Mrs Hyde has worked tirelessly over many years to ensure the greater Port Macquarie-Hastings region remains a strong tourism hub.
"My constant over the years has been my passion for tourism because I know that if tourism is working in our region, then our economy is also working," she said.
Drawn to the lifestyle the Mid North Coast offered, Mrs Hyde and her husband moved to Port Macquarie in 1975 from Sydney.
"We felt that Sydney, even in those days, was becoming a little bit high pressure," she said.
The couple owned a number of small businesses when they moved to Port Macquarie and Mrs Hyde said this is when she found her passion for tourism.
"Our first business was a little takeaway deli and that was a lot of fun. I think the population of Port Macquarie at the time was about 10,000 people and I noticed that tourism was very seasonal.
"We've been in Port Macquarie since 1975, so we've had a long association with the area and I think about 30 years ago I decided I wanted to get involved in the Greater Port Macquarie Tourism Association."
Mrs Hyde has held the role of president of the Greater Port Macquarie Tourism Association since 2012 and has been involved in the association since 1997.
She is also a life member of Business Port Macquarie and was a board member from 2006 to 2022.
"I got involved with the Chamber of Commerce about 18 years ago," she said.
"As long as I can, I will continue working in tourism. I still can't leave it alone."
As part of her involvement in business and tourism, Mrs Hyde also took on the role of community facilitator for the NSW Touch Football State Cup from 1988 to 2022.
"There was an opportunity there for us to host the State Cup at the time and council was extremely supportive. We knew it was going to generate a lot of income."
Mrs Hyde also helped establish Bravehearts Mid North Coast, co-established the Port Macquarie Beatles Festival and is a former committee member of the Salvation Army Red Shield.
Her work with Port Macquarie-Hastings Council also saw her become a member of the marketing sub-committee and co-establish the Volunteer Tourism Ambassador Program.
Over the years Mrs Hyde has been recognised for her passion for the tourism sector and the community. She was named the Citizen of the Year for Port Macquarie in 2019, received the Dean Goddard Award for Outstanding Contribution by an individual in 2019 and is a life member of Port Macquarie Panthers.
When asked about receiving the honour of an OAM, Mrs Hyde said it makes her emotional.
"It's really overwhelming. I feel really humble, because I know there's so many people in our community that deserve this recognition as well," she said.
"It's an absolute honour."
Mrs Hyde said she wouldn't have been able to achieve everything that she has without support.
"You never achieve anything without a team and in everything I have been involved in I have had a team around me," she said.
"My husband is my rock and I wouldn't be able to do what I do without him.
"I'm very lucky to have had the experiences that I've had."
