When Coonabarabran's wildlife legend Sue Brookhouse (67) received an email to say she was in the running for an Order of Australia Medal (OAM), she thought it was a scam.

On Australia Day however, Sue realised just how real this email was, after being awarded an official OAM. The OAM is the highest recognition of outstanding achievement and service in Australia.

Sue volunteers her time to various community groups including the Coonabarabran Show Society, the Rotary Club of Coonabarabran, WIRES and the Dandry Rural Fire Brigade.

However, Sue's passion is based on caring and rehabilitating a wide variety of animals, which she has spent the last 35 years doing. From bats and kangaroos to koalas and wombats, Sue takes care of all animals great and small.

"I am originally from Sydney. I grew up right next to bushland and my mother was well- known to care for all kinds of wildlife including baby birds, lizards and tortoises - I think that is where my passion for wild life conservation and rehabilitation started," she said.

"My husband and I had our two children, who are now in their mid thirties, and from Sydney, we moved to the Blue Mountains for seven years, where I worked for the Blue Mountains National Park with the Australian Wildlife Rescue Organisation (WIRES).

"We then moved to Coonabarabran in 1995, where I worked various roles for the Warrumbungle National Park. I have an individual wild life license with the conservation department in National Parks. There is only around ten people in the state still with one."

Being a wild life carer is important for more reasons than one, says Sue.

"You just never know when common animals could disappear. We used to have so many koalas within the Warrumbungles, and now it is extremely rare.

"The numbers are at an all time low. You just never know when they might all be gone, so it is important to educate. Educating people on our natural environment its biodiversity is extremely important," she said.

"No matter what you have been handed, there is a chance that those animals can die, so releasing animals back into the wild is a very special and rewarding moment.

ABOVE: Sue runs education programs for all ages at the Warrumbungle National Park. PHOTO: S. Brookhouse.

Since moving to Coonabarabran Sue has gone through many highlights, but one sticks out in particular. 

"I love working with wombats. They are always so much fun. We have a koala pen that we double up as a wombat pen when we have no koalas.

"I had two wombats handed to me, a female and a male, they were far too big - they should have come to me at around 2 kilograms and instead they were around 5kg. The male was easy enough to catch, but no matter what I did, I couldn't catch the female for the life of me.

"Once I had finally released the male into the wild, she still wouldn't come out. I had a koala by this time, and I was desperate for space, so I placed the koala inside with the wombat and they became the best of friends - the damn wombat got out and the koala went with it," Mrs Brookhouse laughed.

Whilst there have been highlights, Sue has also faced many hardships.

"About 3-4 years ago, I looked after a baby koala which was around 200 grams and it fit in the palm of my hand. After 8 months of looking after her, she was growing at very gradual pace.

"We ended up putting her on an adult treatment because we wanted to give her the best chance at life. Once she had started on it she looked terrific and healthy, she was growing day by day and doing really well.

"Unfortunately a few weeks later, her kidneys packed it in and she passed away. That one broke my heart- after hundreds of kilometres, and a countless amount of hours and effort. It was very upsetting.

"The bush fires in 2013 were also very tough. I went out about 2-3 days after the fires passed and most animals were too badly burnt and most needed to be euthanised. It was heartbreaking," Mrs Brookhouse said.

 ABOVE: One of Sue's many koalas, Pirate, testing out the koala enclosure. PHOTO: Warrumbungle Koalas Facebook.

With the good and the bad times, Sue says she would not have it any other way.

"With the good and the bad, I have had so much support from the local community. Everyone rallies around you. Our children grew up in a great town, they were given opportunities and experiences that they would not have had anywhere else," she said.

"Living in a small community like Coonabarabran is just a completely different way of life, but the support you get from the community is amazing and something I will always be grateful for.

"Receiving the OAM has been overwhelming to say the least. I am very humbled and honoured to think that people have recognised my hard work.

Marie Knight OAM, close friend and receiver of the OAM in 2020 says Sue is a worthy recipient.

"I was with her on Australia Day and Sue had birds of all ages that needed feeding and care. She had to take the youngest with her on holidays just last week- she is a very hard worker," Mrs Knight said.

"She is a great friend, and a very special person. She is a very talented artist and photographer and runs education programs for all ages. Sue does everything she can to get animals back into the wild.

"Sue is a very worthy recipient of the OAM, and the Coonabarabran community is extremely proud and lucky to have her".