Hi George, congratulations on being awarded Citizen of the Year for your incredible volunteer work. How did you begin volunteering?
I worked at Thompson’s and trained to be an accountant at night school in 1968. I was the finance controller there from 1979- 2008, working under four different employers during that time. I got to meet some amazing people, doing amazing things – it was a marvelous crew.
It was about that time that I was recruited as treasurer of the Harcourt Uniting Church, where I am still treasurer to this day!
Being a treasurer brings me in contact with movers and shakers, people that aren’t necessarily interested in bookwork.
People talk about the three levels of government, but they don’t talk about how much work is expected of volunteers. There’s a lot of paperwork, especially from the banks and that’s the work I do. I don’t want to be idle and there’s only so much reading, gardening, and watching TV you can do.
There’s a real sense of collegiality when you do volunteer work – you’re not doing it on your own.
What other volunteer work have you done?
I was involved with getting the Harcourt Leisure Centre up and running back in 1983 and I’ve been the treasurer there ever since. It’s fun and it keeps me in touch with what’s happening.
I’m probably best known for my work at the Harcourt Heritage Centre where they have a nice big collection of Henry James’ things. And once a month we contribute to the Harcourt Core from things we’ve found in his collection.
I’m also the treasurer at Buda Historic Home and Garden in Castlemaine.
I enjoy being involved with the Harcourt Applefest too. This year there will be an art show and dinosaurs wandering around, family-sized apple pies, and Eliza Hull and the Australian Women’s Choir will be performing.
I’m involved with Legacy which is a great organisation providing very constructive help to widows.
Oh, and I’m a trustee for the Stoneman Foundation. After Stuart Stoneman died last year he created a charitable foundation and left his heritage property Duneira Estate in Mount Macedon to trustees. It’s got a big art collection and beautiful gardens.
I’m involved with the Maldon Vintage Engine Museum and the Vintage Engine Club and I was recruited to the Cemetery Trust in 1979. We made it tidy and accessible and in 82′ we added the lawn section. Everyone attends the working bees with enthusiasm but when it’s time to do the bookwork everyone has to go.
Organisations rise and fall from good secretaries and chairs and I enjoy meeting up with people and helping them out. If you’ve got skills, you may as well use them.
That’s an incredible amount of work, George! How many volunteer roles do you have?!
I do enough to keep me off the streets.
How long have you lived in Harcourt?
We’ve been in this house for 48 years. I was brought up on the property next door under an apple tree. My family has been here since 1959.
This place is like an aviary, with kookaburras, crimson rosellas, yellow-faced honey eaters, blackbirds, thrushes, and magpies who love the flowering natives and the creek behind the house.
We love living next to the bowling green, and hearing them laughing and clapping, it’s good company. I don’t bowl though, I don’t have time!
We have two kids, one in Castlemaine and one in Sunbury. All through COVID we were minding our ten-year-old grandson, as his mother is an essential worker.
We played a lot of loungeroom soccer, which was great because my daughter has a very large lounge room with four doors leading off it, two of the doors were his goals and two were mine. We didn’t break anything – the rule was no kicking the ball off the ground. We did puzzles together and he loved beating me at Petanque!
Have you got time for any other interests?
Growing roses, I have Mutabilis, Masquerade and For Your Eyes Only, and they all change colour every day. During COVID I dug a nice new bed and put in some more roses.
What are you reading at the moment?
Erik Newby’s travel book Around the Mediterranean
Have you travelled?
We went to England, America, Scotland, and France. I went to Singapore 21 times for work and to Japan in 1986 to negotiate a license agreement.
What music do you enjoy listening to?
I like hymns and classical and I like listening to Macca on Sunday mornings.
What philosophy do you live life by?
I’m a Christian person. I try and brighten up the world around me. I think we have every reason to be positive about most things.
And finally, what do you love most about the place you call home?
Harcourt is the centre of the universe! Marvelous people, great environment, good soil and grows the best apples.
