Quorn's longest-serving doctor Anthony Lian-Lloyd has been named on the Australia Day Honours List, receiving an Order of Australia medal for his service to medicine and the community.
Dr Lian-Lloyd credited the award to his family and colleagues, and said the recognition still "hadn't hit yet".
"I'm a little bit embarrassed because there are lots of other people amongst my rural colleagues who I thought were equally deserving, if not more," he said.
Dr Lian-Lloyd has served on many boards throughout the years and was the National Rural Doctors Association of Australia inaugural Rural Doctor of the Year in 2005.
He also recently received the Rural Doctors Association of SA Lifetime Achievement Award for outstanding dedication to RDASA and rural communities.
"You have to be tarred with a certain brush to undertake rural medicine, it's not an easy job," he said.
I played my best hand, I've been up there and vocal, so I know I've done the right thing for my community and my rural colleagues.
- ANTHONY LIAN-LLOYD
"I did medicine to become a rural doctor, I was only ever going to work in the bush."
A large portion of Dr Lian-Lloyd's working life has been dedicated to attracting young doctors to rural towns.
"I played my best hand, I've been up there and vocal, so I know I've done the right thing for my community and my rural colleagues."
Other regional South Australians who received OAM medals included William Biscoe, Angaston, Garry Weillington, Tarlee, Diana Laube, Tiatukia, and Joe Ienco, Mount Compass.
A concert bringing together those in the Mid North also received recognition on Australia Day, with the Day in the Dust concert - held in Robertstown in April last year - being named the SA Community Event of the Year in the Australia Day Awards.
Organised by the Regional Council of Goyder, the drought relief event attracted more than 400 people, with the Australian Army Band performing on the night.
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Goyder mayor Peter Mattey said while it was exciting to receive the award, the positive impact of the event was the main benefit.
"The event wasn't staged to win anything, it was staged to try to bring a community together that was suffering very heavily in drought conditions, and trying to get people to be aware of people around them and their mental state," he said.
"It was great for the Robertstown community as well, to show they can achieve something in difficult times."
Mr Mattey said planning was under way for a similar event in April this year.
SA Citizen of the Year was awarded to Clare agronomist Allan Mayfield, who was recognised for his contributions to agriculture in the region across many decades.
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