Jock, 88, and his mates are early morning swimmers at Bar Beach and the boys organised an honour plaque for Jock on his favourite rock.

Inscribed on the plaque are the words "Jock's Rock" as well as a South Sydney Rabbitos bunny. Jock places his towel on the same rock at least twice a day, while he does a few laps in the netted swimming enclosure.

Jock was very touched at the unveiling on Sunday and commented it was a complete surprise and that he was a bit overwhelmed.

"It's the nicest thing that's ever happened to me,” he said. “That's why I live here, the place is full of nice people".

Jock is well known to everyone that visits the netted swimming area and always has time for a chat and a joke and certainly deserves this honour, according to his mates.

He learned to swim while growing up in Sydney although in those days there were no swimming lessons and kids were simply thrown into the water.

He moved to Narooma in 1974, joining the Narooma surf life saving club where he was involved in the building of new surf club building, along with several other community-minded people. He is a life member of the surf club.

Jock does not claim to be an expert swimmer and said he was never able to keep up with fellow local identity and swimmer, Neville Gough, who was known to swim solo out through the bar crossing.

He does however still enjoy swimming at Bar Beach twice a day when the water is warm enough, although he does also swim in the Narooma pool, where over the years he was involved with other local swimming identity’s Allan Dufty’s senior swimming squad.

“Swimming is what keeps me going, I reckon,” he said.