A BRADFORD-born woman has been honoured with a top award in Australia.

Anne Oughtibridge, who emigrated 40 years ago, was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia.

She was awarded the medal at a ceremony in her adopted home of Ringwood, Maroondah, a city on the outskirts of Melbourne in the state of Victoria.

Mrs Oughtibridge received the medal for her services to the community and her 20 year commitment to the local Probus club, for retired and semi-retired business professionals in the area.

She was the founding president of the Ringwood East Ladies Probus Club in 1995, the Ringwood Clocktower Probus Club and the Maroondah Probus Club, and went on to become the president of the Melbourne Outer East Probus Club in 2003 and has also been involved with the Probus Association of Victoria.

Mrs Oughtibridge, 81, was born in Bradford and lived in the Undercliffe and Eccleshill area of the city, and attended Bolling Girls' Grammar School.

She married her husband, Raymond, when they were in their 30s and emigrated to Australia soon after as he had a desire to move to the other side of the world.

Her sister-in-law Stella Walker, 78, of Thornton, said Mrs Oughtibridge was overwhelmed when she found out she was receiving the award.

Mrs Walker said: "When she first started the group it was for social matters, but now there are 150 members of the Ringwood group and nearly 400 people involved with the Melbourne Outer East club.

"She is still involved now, arranging trips to Tasmania and New Zealand, and was even asked if she wanted to go to Borneo to see if it was somewhere the group would like to go.

"She is still very active, Anne was retired but is now a representative for a company, working accounts and has been on a trip to Mauritius with them."

Speaking to her local newspaper in Australia, Mrs Oughtibridge said: "It has been a pleasure to dedicate so much time to the club, I've no idea how much time I've spent on it because it doesn't feel like work.

"I was first interested in Probus for a social outlet to make new friends and have fun, it's been wonderful to see the club grow and I never realised how popular it would be when I first started."

Mrs Oughtibridge, a widow, received her medal at the Maroondah Australia Day celebrations at Ringwood Lake.