Mrs Mamouney, 74, a Berwick resident for 35 years, was awarded the honour on Australia Day ‘‘for service to the community, particularly through the Casey Multi-Faith Network and to the Greater Dandenong area’’.

Mrs Mamouney, who has worked for years to promote religious tolerance and understanding, said the recognition came as a complete surprise.

‘‘When I found out about it I was recovering from a knee operation so I was feeling pretty fragile and burst into tears. I certainly wasn’t expecting it.’’

A staunch member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Mrs Mamouney joined the Interfaith Council of the City of Greater Dandenong many years ago in her role as the church’s public affairs representative.

In 2007 she became a founding member and vice-president of the Casey Multi-Faith Network, and is still promoting and conducting tours of places of worship for participants ranging from school children to retirees.

Mosques, temples and Christian churches are on the popular itinerary which includes the Lysterfield mosque, Casey’s Buddhist temple and the Albanian and Turkish mosques in the City of Dandenong.

‘‘It’s been eye-opening to see the change in older people in Berwick who perhaps had been a bit nervous about migrants coming in,’’ Mrs Mamouney said.

‘‘They get to question and listen to the imam. Some say afterwards that if only they had known more about the Islamic faith before they wouldn’t have been frightened.

‘‘There are no efforts to convert people ... the visits are to promote understanding, peace and harmony.’’

Mrs Mamouney, a mother of five, has also been the driving force behind Red Cross Australia donation collections in Casey worth about $250,000.

In her modest fashion, Mrs Mamouney downplayed the dedicated organisational efforts which have reaped such an impressive result for charity.

‘‘I feel like a fraud really. I boss people around and get them to do things,’’ she laughed.

Anyone who would like information about how to join the Casey Multi-faith Network can email pam.mamouney@gmail.com