Joan Christie at work with the coast guard communications in Port Fairy.
ONE of Port Fairy's unsung heroes has been acknowledged for years of tireless work that has kept a vital service going in the town.
Joan Christie came to live in Port Fairy in 2006, and at the end of May will return to her home town of Melbourne to live.
In her six years in Port Fairy Ms Christie has had a big impact, putting in thousands of hours of voluntary work as the coast guard communications operator for Port Fairy.
Portland and Warrnambool Coast Guard members gathered last Saturday night to honour Ms Christie's work and to present her with a certificate of appreciation .
It is estimated that in the past six years Ms Christie has worked in excess of 2000 days at seven-and-a-half hours a day, totalling more than 15,000 hours.
Her work has included delivering weather forecasts three times a day to boats in the waters off Port Fairy. She has also served as a valuable communications support to vessels in distress.
The Portland and Warrnambool Coast Guard will now monitor Port Fairy on the weekends, and the Port Fairy Marine Rescue Service will pick up some of the weekday reports. Ms Christie said while she will continue her work with the coast guard in Melbourne, she will miss her association with Port Fairy.
"I found Port Fairy on a holiday and I have just loved living here," she said.
"I love the ambience and the beauty of the town and the people are so kind. And of course I love living close to the ocean."
Ms Christie said providing a coast guard service for Port Fairy had been very satisfying.
"The rescue work in particular is something I have really enjoyed. It is good to be able to help guide people when they get in trouble," she said.