Mr Dyball taught at Shoalhaven High since 1983 and retired in 2015. Previously he was a teacher in Cobar.

He said he felt humbled and undeserved in receiving the award.

"One of those little surprises that you don't expect, you don't really do it for recognition - because it's just a thing that I've been doing for 30 years," Mr Dyball said.

"It's one of those things I don't know what to make of it really - it's almost embarrassing.

"All those similar professions, professions of service, police, nurses, doctors, teachers, to the rewards are intrinsic rather than bestowed if you're doing it for rewards then you're doing it for the wrong reasons."

He said his award most likely given to him for a initiative or "a bit of an aside I was doing" which organised places for indigenous kids to go to boarding school.

"It started way back in Bathurst with the late and great indigenous barrister Lloyd McDermott," he said.

"I was standing beside Lloyd when my boys were playing up at Bathurst, we had a conversation and suddenly - three boys started up there and it just steamrolled from there.

"That was 30 years ago.

"Now we've got wonderful schools Knox Grammar, St Catherine's, Canberra Grammar - they just leave no stone unturned in supporting the kids, their families, the communities."

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The outcomes for the students who have participated in the program have been wonderful for John to see over the years.

"One of the things I say to the kids is you can have a fantastic education, there's the good news, the bad news is you've got me for the rest your life," he said.

"And they've gone on to make really significant contributions in so many ways, you don't have to be a rocket scientist or a doctor or anything else so that you just need to be a good citizen.

"They've gone on, hundreds and hundreds of them to be really, really good citizens. It's all just about helping kids from small, struggling communities."

Mr Dyball has also received recognition for his teaching when we was named as an Australian Local Hero of the Year finalist for New South Wales last year as well as receiving a National Excellence in Teaching Award in 2007.