The honour is well deserved after 20 years of volunteer work with the Lions Club Mandurah and three terms as president of the club.

The journey for Mr Prendergast began in 1990 when the retired businessman lived in Collie and elected to join a service club.

“The Lions Club turned up on my doorstep at 9am and the Rotary Club turned up at 9.30,” he said.

“So had they come a bit earlier I might be part of the Rotary Club instead.”

Mr Prendergast said since that day the Lions Club had become an “incredibly important” part of his life.”

Though he acknowledged his own hard work with the club, he couldn’t stress more that the work of the Lions was a team effort.

The Halls Head resident has also been the recipient of the Melvin Jones Fellow award in the past.

But awards mean little to the man who has helped to make a difference to countless people’s life.

In 2000 he began working with the Children of Courage program, of which he is now the chairperson.

Of all the cases he’s worked with in the past, Mr Prendergast said none compared with the young girl he is currently raising money for – seven-year-old Lauren Quinn.

The young Halls Head student has nemaline myopathy, also known as floppy doll syndrome, and the Lions Club has made it its mission over the past few months to raise enough money to customise a car to cater to her motorised wheelchair.

Mr Prendergast has nothing but praise for the young girl saying she is a “real sweetie”.

The club president hasn’t kept his volunteer work solely focused on the club; he also drives a pensioner bus and is part of the hospital visit program which sees him maintaining contact with Lions that are in aged care.

On New Year’s Eve Mr Prendergast sent 300 bread rolls left over from the evening’s celebrations to aged care and the women’s refuge.

He hopes in the near future to move up into the role of district governor so he can take the volunteer program further.

“It’s become a hobby for me,” he said.

“I devote 30 hours a week to the Lions Club.

“It gives me a purpose in life.”

The Australian of the Year award will be announced at Australia Day celebrations on January 26.