He had been a Riverina practitioner since 1967 starting his work in Griffith, moving to Coleambally and then Leeton.

Today, his lifelong work has been recognised, as he is a recipient of an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for services to the medical and broader community.

Graduating from medical school in 1963, Dr Byrne worked in a city hospital before moving to Hobart for two years.

Soon after, he moved his young family to Griffith to take up a position as general practitioner at the base hospital. He settled in Coleambally in 1970.

"Then, it was a town that was very much in its infancy," Dr Byrne said. "I worked there for 32 years and was pretty much part of the community."

Dr Byrne was president of Coleambally's chamber of commerce for eight years, president of the progress association for three years and inaugural president of the Coleambally swimming pool for four years.

Dr Byrne moved to Leeton in 2003 where he focused on bringing medical imaging to rural areas, an achievement he remains incredibly proud of.

Talking about his career, Dr Bryne said he had always maintained "a devotion to rural general practice".