"Well, I feel quite excited and grateful people have recognised my work over the last 45 years," Mr Moore said.

Mr Moore, who is currently working for a state government department, has had almost too many positions to name and there has been some highlights.

"Some of the proud moments are being a part of ATSIC when it was still here and being the CEO of the Aboriginal Legal Service for the NSW and ACT," he said.

"More recently, being a member of the National Congress of Australia's First Peoples - representing our people at a national level."

Other roles he has worked in have included the CEO of Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care, managing director of Shoalhaven Community Development trading as Habitat Personnel, former deputy chairperson of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service Forum, former chairperson of the NSW Aboriginal Housing Development Committee, former community liaison officer with the NSW Department of Housing, former senior project officer with the NSW Department of Aboriginal Affairs and a founding member of the New South Wales Labor Party Indigenous Network.

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He said working with young people and creating relationships across race motivates him. He enjoys mentoring and assisting the next group of young leaders.

"It's always a pleasure and an honour to be working with young people and I do a lot with the youthie in Nowra and have sat on that board for a while.

"What stands out for me is being able to create good relationships relationships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in the community that I live and right through to that national level."

For many Indigenous Australians, Australia Day can be a contentious day.

"I think one day we'll get to a point where we'll get a day that we can all celebrate together," he said.

"Right now it's working towards that goal of getting everyone to march in the same direction."