Unassuming and humble, he replied: "If it happened again, I would do the same thing."

He was referring to the night in November 2016, when he supported and tended to the horrific wounds of his neighbour Dr Angela Jay, who had been stabbed 11 times and doused in petrol by an obsessed stalker she met on Tinder.

Dr Jay has credited her now former neighbour with saving her life, as have investigating police.

The man who attacked her, Paul Lambert, fled the normally quiet Magnolia Place and was pursued by police to Bonville near Coffs Harbour, where he was shot dead after lunging at officers with a knife.

Six years on from his neighbour's attempted murder, Mr Willdern said he is surprised and honoured to receive the award.

"It's been so long since it happened, so I was a bit surprised," he said. "Other people have done a lot more than what I did, but it's always nice to be recognised on a large scale like this."

Although most people would call his actions brave, Mr Willdern doesn't see it that way.

"You don't really think about bravery or anything like that at the time, you just help in anyway you can when you see someone in need, and I was just at the right place at the right time," he said.

"The police said at the time that a lot of people hide when they sense danger... but it just never occurred to me to do that, I just acted in that moment and that was it.

"If it was your daughter or your wife, you would hope someone else would be there to help them out."

Mr Willdern's Australian Bravery Decorations citation reads as follows:

Mr Steven Willdern is commended for brave conduct for his actions assisting a female who had been injured during an attack in Port Macquarie, New South Wales on 3 November 2016. At 6:00pm, Mr Steven Willdern was with his daughter at the rear of his residence when they heard a woman screaming.

Mr Willdern ran to his garage, grabbed a small pinch bar and ran down his driveway towards the screaming which was coming from his neighbour's house. As Mr Willdern approached the front door of his neighbour's house, the door flung open and his screaming neighbour came out. She was bleeding profusely and Mr Willdern could smell accelerant on her.

Mr Willdern grabbed his neighbour and supported her to his garage. He instructed his daughter to call an ambulance. Another neighbour arrived and called police while Mr Willdern applied pressure to her wounds and poured water on her face to rinse off the accelerant which was burning her skin. Mr Willdern's daughter also assisted in providing first aid to the woman's injuries. The woman was treated by emergency services, and had sustained 11 stab wounds.

While the incident really affected him at the time, Mr Willdern said he's managed to put most of it behind him.

"I did have a hard time with it all, there's no doubt about that," he said. "Afterwards, your brain goes into overdrive and it all plays on a loop in your head, but it's been so long since it happened that I'm okay with it all now."

Mr Willdern has previously been awarded a NSW police commendation for his heroic act, which he felt honoured to receive as well.

"I think you have to put a bit of pride into the awards," he said.

"A lot of people do good things but not everyone gets recognised for it, so it's nice that at the end of the day I can say I did the right thing and got rewarded for it.

"If it happened again, I would do the same thing."

Mr Willdern is one of 26 Australians to be named in the twice-yearly bravery awards.

In announcing recipients on Tuesday night August 16, Governor-General David Hurley said: "The awards... recognise people who, in a moment of peril, were selfless and brave. Confronted with danger, they chose to help others.

"On behalf of all Australians, I congratulate recipients and offer our thanks for their brave action.

"I encourage recipients to wear their Australian Bravery Decoration with pride.

"The details of the brave acts are inspirational - the examples of selflessness and compassion reflect characteristics to which we all aspire."