She had rushed to her brother Finley Cairney's aid after hearing him cry for help, to find a stranger stabbing him with a machete and a knife around the head and chest.

Mr Cairney and his family had been asleep at their Holmesville home early in the morning of January 10, 2007, when his dog, and Ms Cairney's dog, started barking.

Ms Cairney, who lives next door, took a heavy metal torch outside to investigate and called to her brother.

Moments later he was heard crying out for help.

The would-be robber was in a drug-fuelled frenzy.

He'd been awake for 17 days on an "ice" binge, and he intended to rob Mr Cairney's home to buy more drugs.

Ms Cairney moved in behind the attacker, and hit him solidly over the head with the torch, stunning him.

That blow to the head was the only thing that stopped him, and even then her brother suffered severe, life-threatening injuries.

The attacker recovered sufficiently to retrieve the machete and menace Ms Cairney while verbally threatening her.

Ms Cairney called for another neighbour to call the police and he fled the scene.

"This guy meant business," Ms Cairney told The Herald.

Ms Cairney is one of about 45 people commended for brave actions by Governor-General Quentin Bryce.

The awards represent the highest level of recognition that can be accorded for outstanding achievement and service in national life.

Ms Cairney said she would do the same again.

"I wouldn't hesitate, whether I was related to the person or not, I would stop and help."

The award, announced today, was completely unexpected, Ms Cairney said, and she was humbled.

"I was overwhelmed to think that someone has gone out of their way to nominate me for this," she said.

The attacker was caught, charged, and sentenced to a minimum seven years in jail.