After being out from 10am to 12pm on Friday, May 3, Mrs Briggs-Smith returned to her home in Maude Street, Moree to find it had been ransacked and a number of items of value, including her Order of Australia Medal, jewellery and other small items, stolen.

Mrs Briggs-Smith was awarded her OAM by her Excellency, Governor Marie Bashir at Government House in Sydney in 2011 for her tireless voluntary work within her Aboriginal community of Moree and Terry Hie Hie.

Among the jewellery that was stolen was Mrs Briggs-Smith's grandmother's wedding ring from the 1930s, and her own rings, along with gold and silver charm bracelets and other items that were of great sentimental value from her family.

"Those bits of jewellery I've had for years," she said.

"They can never be replaced."

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Mrs Briggs-Smith said a neighbour witnessed a school-aged boy loitering around the front of her home that was broken into at the same time of day when she was out.

"A police officer later found a dropped item that was stolen at the back lane entrance of my property, where it became obvious of where the offender entered and escaped," she said.

This is the third incident Mrs Briggs-Smith has experienced in a matter of weeks. First, her car window was smashed and her camera was removed from the glove box, and then in a separate incident, her car was stolen from the carport at her home and later dumped.

"Nothing can be left out in the yard or on the clothesline," Mrs Briggs-Smith said.

"You lock your house up as much as you can, what are you supposed to do?

"After being born in Moree and growing up here in the Aboriginal community, for the first time in my 78 years, I do not feel safe anymore, especially in my home.

"It is a very sad situation when a person cannot leave their home for a few hours during daylight."

Mrs Briggs-Smith believes all young offenders committing crimes in any society should not be excused from breaking the law because of their youth.

"How will or can they ever learn right from wrong?" she asked.

Moree officer-in-charge Inspector Martin Burke said this is a particularly "low act" and police are appealing for information from the public to help find these valuable items.

"Breaking into a person's premise is a very serious offence, but it's a particularly low act when people feel the need to take war medals or medals of significance such as an Order of Australia Medal," he said.

"This medal possesses no value to those that have taken it. We encourage anyone with information as to the whereabouts of the medal and other jewellery to contact police."

If anyone has any information on the whereabouts of these items, contact Moree police on (02) 6757 0799.