Brian Egan, 76, is survived by his wife Nerida and daughters Natasha, Samantha, Kelly and Victoria.

The western Queensland-based Mr Egan helped set up Aussie Helpers in Charleville, in 2002.

A spokesperson for the family said in a statement yesterday: "It is with great sadness that the team at Aussie Helpers reports the passing of co-founder Brian Egan."

"Aussie Helpers and the Egan family appreciate the community's kind wishes and support, but ask for their privacy to be respected during this difficult time."

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Mr Egan won a host of awards for his charity work, including the Pride of Australia medal and the title of Queensland Senior Australian of the Year in 2008, along with a nomination for Australian of the Year.

Aussie Helpers was set up with a simple $20 raffle, but has grown to become a major rural charity, with a focus on providing aid to struggling farmers.

Official Aussie Helpers statistics suggest it has helped more than 13,000 farming families through initiatives such as financial aid, supply donations, education support, mental health support and more.

Initiatives such as the Bush Kids education program and the Virtual Psychologist mental health support were two Aussie Helpers projects that received significant coverage.

Mr Egan and charity co-founder, wife Nerida Egan, retired from the day-to-day running of the charity in July.

The board of directors then appointed their daughter Natasha Kocks as the new chief executive officer.

Mr Egan had struggled with his health in recent months, telling The Northern Daily Leader in November 2018 that "relentless" critics of the charity's work had contributed to his hospitalisaion.