Andrew Ormsby never thought his pub story would plant his feet in front of the Governor of Queensland, Dr Jeannette Young.
Four years ago, the pub-goer was hailed a hero for thwarting an armed robbery at the Mermaid Beach Tavern on the Gold Coast.
On Tuesday, he was among everyday Queenslanders who received Australian honours and bravery awards for risking their lives to help others.
“It’s a huge honour, really it’s unexpected,” Ormsby told 9News.
“If you told me that night I’d be like ‘whatever, get off the drink’,” he added with a laugh.
Ormsby was playing the pokies in 2019 when he grabbed a bar stool to stop a machete-wielding bandit who was terrorising a female bartender.
He then used pot plants to disarm the masked thief before chasing him out of the pub.
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“Everyone’s surprised, they’re like ‘out of all weapons, a pot plant?’ and I’m like ‘well it was the only thing I could see at the time’,” he recalls.
Today, he was commended for his brave conduct and quick thinking.
“It’s just something anyone else would do, you know, if you see somebody in distress your instincts kicks in kind of save whoever’s there,” Ormsby said.
Harley Schmith showed the same type of bravery when he risked his life to save four teenagers stranded on a light pole during the dangerous floodwaters that swept through Townsville in 2019.
“It was difficult but again we just had a job to do — we had to do it,” Schmith told 9News.
“It’s just humbling. I never expected to get anything like this.”
All up, 115 Queenslanders from all walks of life were recognised across five ceremonies at Government House.
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