His role also gave him a privileged position to raise the profile of another area of keen and lasting interest for him – spatial science and mapping.

It was his contributions to those duel passions that saw Mr Nairn awarded an Officer of the Order of Australia in the Queen's Birthday Honours.

Mr Nairn, of Jerrabomberra, represented the federal seat of Eden-Monaro for more than a decade to 2007 and was promoted to the front bench as Special Minister for State in 2006.

He also headed a federal inquiry into the 2003 Canberra bushfires.

Before he entered the bear pit of federal politics he was a surveyor in private practice and managing director of a surveying and mapping consultancy.

Mr Nairn has held a slew of senior roles with industry groups including the Association of Consulting Surveyors Australia and Spatial Industries Business Association.

"It's been an industry I've been involved in for a long time and I tried to raise the profile of some of that spatial area when I was in Parliament," Mr Nairn said.

"I feel this is an award that helps raise that profile even further."

Mr Nairn said surveyors were often reluctant to trumpet their work, but no major infrastructure project could go ahead without it.

"Often people don't understand the importance of that kind of information, but it allows people to make much better decisions."

Mr Nairn, 64, now juggles charity work with cancer and disability support groups with positions in the surveying industry and his role as a member of the Northern Territory Planning Commission.

He calls them his "love jobs", because he loves the work.

Mr Nairn lived in the territory for many years and was president of the territory's Country Liberals between 1990 and 1994.

"That role been an opportunity to pull together all my knowledge from my time in Parliament and in the surveying and mapping industry into my current role to better plan the territory.

"I've found it great post-Parliament to bring some of those skills to the industry. I've been able to give something back."

Mr Nairn was honoured and overwhelmed to be recognised in this year's awards.

"I suspect many of the people in my profession and industry, which spans either side of my parliamentary career, had some sort of strong hand in that."

Mr Nairn and his wife bought a property near Cooma several years ago to enjoy a quieter life, but Mr Nairn admitted he didn't intend to slow down soon.

"There's still plenty of time to do more and to help more organisations."