She now joins her father Clarrie Rose as the only father/daughter combination awarded life memberships. They enter the record books in illustrious company alongside father/son life members former prime minister Sir Earle Page and son Don Page, former Ballina MP. Vals father was given the honour in 1966.

Val said she should have twigged that something was in the air when she received a call from party head office prior to the conference, asking if she was attending. When she responded that it was too far for an old girl like her to travel, the caller said, What if we fly you down?

I thought it was a hoax call and hung up, Val said.

READ ALSO: Val hands over the reins

Its quite an involved process to confer a life membership. Val was nominated by the Tenterfield branch, but it was Senator John Wacka Williams who officially proposed it to the conference, with Rick Colless MLC the seconder.

The motion then had to be voted on by the caucus of more than 200 present, but Val has heard reports that it was a unanimous vote in favour.

Rick Colless made the phone call and I had to pick myself off the floor, Val said.

I said W-H-A-T???. I must have nearly burst his eardrum, but I thought about Dad straight away.

Its a great privilege, but I didnt do it to get the accolades. I believed in it.

When she passed on the news to her daughter, Alisons first words were Same as Pop.

Alison was a small child when the Gardiners moved to Tenterfield to raise their family. Grandad Clarrie was unwell with a heart condition so it was Vals turn to chauffeur him to a meeting, this time an AGM of the Electorate Council in Deepwater where each branch in the electorate comes together.

Stuart Jeffrey was chair at the time and was duly reinstated. When calls were made for nominations for secretary and Vals name came up, she said, It cant be me, I dont actually belong.

Clarrie jumped up and quickly paid her membership fee, and she remained on the executive as chair or secretary for the next five decades.

In parliamentary speak, Ive never been a backbencher, she said.

Among her achievements she is most proud of her role as successful campaign manager for Tim Bruxner in both 1983 and 1986, when campaign headquarters was a card table and chair set up in a spare room in her home near the phone. All campaign work was done before or after school. (Val was a teacher, as most of the adult population of Tenterfield would know.)

It was much simpler in those days, she said.

I didnt have an office down the street. There were no smartphones, no social media, just a landline and pen-and-paper, but we got results.

It would never work today.

While she has volunteered countless hours to the party over the years, she did get some recompense for campaign expenses; a princely $74.68 for the 1983 effort as campaign director. The whole campaign attracted an expense claim of $3040.86.

Although officially retired the 85-year-old remains a party member, handling many calls for her advice and expertise collected from 50 years in the business.

She has to wait until next years conference to officially receive her life membership, but fortunately its a bit closer to home, in Inverell.

Given her time over again, she said theres nothing she wouldnt do again and doesnt know if she could do anything differently.

Ive met some wonderful people through it all, and its been a wonderful experience, she said.

I get a swag of cards each Christmas, and it costs me a fortune in cards and postage.

She urged others to get involved, particularly young people but only for the right reasons, despite her own generational history.

Not just because Mum or Dad did it.

In a way you have to do it for yourself, because you get a certain amount of fulfillment from it, and fulfillment is different to glory.

She fears that young people grow up expecting to receive the same things as their parents, but if they dont step up and contribute and take on the responsibility, where are these things going to come from?

Val is thrilled to see young Josh Moylan showing the way, taking over as branch secretary last year. She has a grandson, 24-year-old Jack Arnold, whos also keen to get involved and may follow in the family tradition.

Val herself has her sights on next years conference and having tangible evidence of her life membership, and thats well within her goal of reaching her 92nd birthday like her mother and grandmother before her.

Shes been fielding lots of congratulatory calls and visits as news of the life membership spreads. MP Thomas George dropped in on Tuesday, and former National Party leader Ian Sinclair called with his well wishes while Val was talking to the Star.

Thoroughly-deserved, Mr Sinclair said.

Your dad was, like you are, a great stalwart of the community.

MP Barnaby Joyce also congratulated Val, saying that life membership of any political party is an incredible honour.

Such people contribute a large section of their lives for free, for a countrys democracy, through whatever party they choose to support.

He said such distinctions are not given out lightly, with more requests being knocked back than accepted.

If we didnt have people like Val we wouldnt have a democracy, and they do it because they believe in it.