THE night before the 2017 Australia Day awards, Graham Buchner was out on the mower.

The 77-year-old Warwick Citizen of the Year wasn't fussed preparing his winning speech, instead mowed the New England Hwy from Glengallan Rd to Campbells Gully.

"I blew a tyre so had to stop,” he said.

"I didn't get to finish the job, I hope no one notices.”

A crowd erupted into applause when Mr Buchner was announced the winner of the Warwick Citizen of the Year, with his biggest fan, great-grandson Cody King, jumping on to the stage in celebration.

"There's no one that loves Graham more than Cody,” Cody's grandmother said.

"That's his biggest fan right up on stage there.”

Mr Buchner came to Warwick as a 15-year-old, and from that moment made his life "helping the region”.

"I've never wanted to move, and when my time comes, it will be here,” he said.

As well as polishing the entrance to Warwick with his mowing, Mr Buchner is a member of 14 community groups, including the Cancer Council.

The charity's events co-ordinator Carol Cooke said Mr Buchner helped at every event, from set-up to clean-up, and always at the helm of the barbecue.

"He helps out where he can, and he's such a great worker,” Ms Cooke said.

Mr Buchner said from day one in Warwick, he wanted to help the community like his dairy-farming father Ron Buchner.

"I modelled my life off my father's,” he said.

"He was one of those fellas that gave and gave and was always willing to assist.

"He helped me with things that I wanted to do to help.

"I was very lucky in that way; not everyone has a father like that.”

Mr Buchner owns a fleet of special event units he loans to community groups.

Cr Neil Meiklejohn said: "If it's a community or school event he will have towed it there and set it up free of charge.”

Warwick Chamber of Commerce chief executive officer Lewis von Stieglitz said there were few events Mr Buchner didn't attend.

"I have never met anyone so dedicated to just quietly getting on with doing good in the community,” Mr von Stieglitz said.

"Whether it's providing the Buchner family van to anchor an event, getting on a mower to clean up the approaches to town, advocating for some needed improvement, he just makes it happen. And what impresses me most is that he expects nothing in return.”

No such thing as retirement for Graham

GRAHAM Buchner is a Warwick institution.

There is barely a committee or event that Graham does not contribute to along with countless other things he does selflessly for our community.

When Graham was in business he operated Warwick Freighters and Ag Supplies at McEvoy St.

I used to think he was busy with community stuff when he ran this business but after retirement he has taken even more roles on.

Every time I see Graham driving around in his ute (fitted with Warwick number plates) and we have a chat, I am amazed at the stuff in the back of his ute.

Graham picks up rubbish, stray trolleys and whatever is littering the place and sorts it out.

Taking the rubbish to the dump and dropping the trolleys back at Woolies, Coles or wherever.

He is always dropping off raffle prizes, putting up signs for events or carrying something about in his ute for some event or another.

A few weeks ago I was in Stanthorpe and I saw Graham stopped on the side of the road near McDonalds.

Why?

He was picking up rubbish he had seen there.

Andrew Gale, mate and nominator