Tony and Adriana Lamarra awarded Goulburn Rotary's Paul Harris Fellowship

Mr Lamarra was presented with the Paul Harris Fellowship at Goulburn Rotary's annual changeover dinner on Monday night. Adriana, who was unable to attend the event, was named as a co-recipient. The award recognises individuals who make positive contributions to the Rotary Foundation and their community.

"I'm lost for words. It's a great honour," Mr Lamarra said as he wiped away tears.

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Outgoing president, Geoff Henderson, said Mr Lamarra embodied the Paul Harris values, which strove to make the world a better place.

"There is no better ambassador to Goulburn than Tony Lamarra. We thank you for your service to our community," he said.

Mr Henderson said Mr Lamarra arrived in Australia from Italy in 1954 and "through hard work," quickly, established himself as an influential and respected member of the Goulburn community."

He was elected to Goulburn City Council in 1974 and served as mayor from 1985 to 1991. Mr Lamarra is the Lilac City Festival patron and has a long record of community involvement. This includes the Red Shield Appeal for 26 years, Goulburn Lions Club membership for 26 years and 21 years' Rotary membership. He has also been involved with numerous committees during his time.

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Mr Lamarra said he always wanted to give back to Goulburn, where he arrived as an 18-year-old. He noted that Rotary and Lions had undertaken more than 100 projects.

"I thank Goulburn people for allowing me to do it," he said of his community service.

"People say how lucky I am but I say no, 'I'm a worker.' I do it because I love to see Goulburn flourish."

He believed Rotary and similar organisations should promote their work, not for praise, but to highlight their community service.

Mr Lamarra followed brother, Luigi, to Goulburn in the 1950s. He had met Adriana in Wollongong and they married in the mid 1960s.

"I came to Australia with nothing but people gave me everything. I like to work and that's my life. It makes me forget the bad times in the war," he said.

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His family were left refugees following the German invasion of Cassino in 1943. The Lamarras lived in the neighbouring village of S. Angello and were forced to move from place to place to escape the danger. Tony was just seven years old.

In January 1944, they witnessed the Battle of Monte Cassino in which the city's monastery was destroyed. Civilians had been sheltering there. Some 750 bombers dropped 1500 tonnes of explosives in six hours. A total 275,000 soldiers and 400 civilians died.

Mr Lamarra says the trauma of that time stays with him and fuels his ongoing links to Monte Cassino and mission to chronicle its history.

But he said he didn't let it define him. He started as a dishwasher at the former Saint Patrick's College, worked on the railways for four years. In the early days, he sent much of his wage back to his mother in Italy in appreciation of his parents' sacrifice.

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Then, together with Adriana, he struck out in business. They ran the Saint Marco restaurant on the corner of Auburn and Clifford Streets, and a supermarket, mini-bank and post office in Hill Street, an engineering business in May Street. In 1973, they started their famous second-hand furniture business, firstly in Clifford Street before relocating to Verner Street a year later.

The couple has been involved in local business for 63 years.

"Adriana worked hard and was always my backbone," Mr Lamarra said.

"We like to help people, share things with them and try to put them first. I get up at 6am every day and work until 5pm. I just love working."

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