Community at the heart of Geelong’s 2024 King’s Birthday honorees
A selection of community-minded people across the region have received Order of Australia awards to mark the King’s Birthday.
Geelong
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Five community-minded Geelong region residents have received Order of Australia awards to mark the King’s Birthday.
The recipients have reflected on what their community means to them and their ongoing passion to give back to the place they live.
Robert Gartland
A Geelong man well-known for his collection of Cats memorabilia has been recognised for his extensive work in the community.
In 2006, Bob Gartland, 70, began his work as a founding ambassador of the community hospice Anam Cara House.
He spent 12 years on the board of Geelong Football Club and has been integral in the establishment of a Geelong Sports Museum.
Mr Gartland said he was passionate about every project he had been involved in.
“I was born and educated here in Geelong, and came from a very humble home, where my parents had little, but shared everything,” he said.
“A sense of community was instilled in me from a very early age.
“I love this city, its people and our history.
“Without the passion, you don’t have the drive to get things done and every step of every project has been a pleasure.”
Mr Gartland said he was highly motivated to help bring Anam Cara House to life with Diane Wright, Frank Costa and Fr Kevin Dillon.
The retired businessman is currently patron of the facility.
“It’s one of the best things I have done in my community because our children and grandchildren will benefit from what we have done in giving people a choice for end-of-life care,” he said.
Mr Gartland’s passion for the Geelong Football Club has been lifelong.
“The club has been the lifeblood of this city since its inception in 1859, and has often mirrored the fortunes of the city, when the footy club is going well, Geelong seems to hum, business goes well and people are happy,” he said.
“I am so proud and feel very privileged, that I have been able to make a small contribution to our club over my 12 years on the board and as vice-president, being a part of three premierships, and in my continuing work in historical research.”
Mr Gartland shared his collection of thousands of photos and cared-for keepsakes at the Geelong Gallery in 2019.
He said sharing that with 12,000 people was extremely rewarding.
Mr Gartland said his dream to create a sports museum in Geelong would come true in coming weeks.
It is set to open at Kardinia Park.
“When people get the opportunity to see the new museum I think they will be astounded and it’s going to be a great asset to tell the stories of great sportspeople from Geelong,” Mr Gartland said.
Mr Gartland said he was honoured and proud, but also humbled, to receive a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his continued work in the community.
“My wish for the future is that I can give back, in a meaningful way, for as long as I am able, to the community that has afforded me so much,” he said.
Michelle Challis
Community service is part of Michelle Challis’ DNA, and like her parents before her, she has been honoured with an Order of Australia Medal.
Ms Challis said she had always felt driven to give back to her community.
“I have had a lot of involvement in the Geelong community through Lions Clubs and also St John of God Geelong Hospital Auxiliary,” she said.
“I formerly was part of the appeals committee at Barwon Health Foundation and I have friends who work at Lifeline so I have volunteered there too.
“In Ballarat I was secretary at the Ballarat Hebrew congregation.”
Ms Challis is also the incoming Lions District Governor, a role that covers 63 clubs from the western suburbs of Melbourne to the South Australian border.
The Manifold Heights 48-year-old said her reward for volunteering was the joy in helping someone in need.
“I am a Geelong girl through and through and my parents raised me to give back to community, we are very community orientated family,” she said.
“You give back because someone always needs help and if I can give that I will.
“I think I volunteer more than full time.”
“You can’t say the world is doom and gloom if you don’t try to help other people and if we all help each other it makes the world a better place.”
Ms Challis said it was surreal but humbling to be awarded an OAM.
“There is no word to describe the wave of emotion when you get the email to find out,” she said.
Dr James Mullins
The combination of his firefighting service and work in engineering and robotics led Dr James Mullins to create an international business.
He is a third generation volunteer firefighter and a technologist who studied an engineering degree at Deakin University and completed a PhD in medical and defence robotics.
“I started combining my two interests of robotics and firefighting and started a fire training technology company called Flaim,” he said.
Dr Mullins said it was surreal and unexpected to be recognised with a Member of the Order of Australia (AM).
“I love what I do and to have this honour was amazing,” he said.
The 43 year-old has served in the CFA for 30 years and is part of the Grovedale Brigade.
“As CFA volunteers we see people having one of the worst days of their lives and it’s about being able to able to help in some small way,” he said.
“One of my first bigger fires was the Linton disaster and the other big one I was involved in was Black Saturday.
“I was relatively young and having to deal with people who had lost houses and properties and pets so it was challenging but rewarding in that we were making a difference.”
Dr Mullins said he had always been interested in understanding how things work and how people can change things for the better.
“We work with undergrad engineers, then we employ them as graduates and it’s really fulfilling for me to see those young people doing amazing things,” he said.
Dr Kaye Rodden
A long time Landcare volunteer believes strong communities are built by people who put up their hands and help out.
Dr Kaye Rodden has been involved in community Landcare for almost 40 years and was founding member of the Barrabool Hills group.
The farmer has also been involved in Geelong Landcare Network, Landcare Victoria and the National Landcare Network.
“Community Landcare groups are fabulous organisations that bring people together,” she said.
“It’s about seeing the change you can make in the landscape by being a good caretaker of the land.
“Some of the projects we were involved with were the eradication of rabbits and managing serrated tussock and gorse.
“Weeds and feral animals don’t stop at property boundaries, so everyone needs to work together to stop them spreading.
“We have done a lot of revegetation and we totally rehabilitated a large wetland between Barrabool Hills and Winchelsea.”
Dr Rodden, 74, said leaving land in a better state than how you purchased it was important, as was volunteering in a community.
Dr Rodden has retired to South Gippsland and continues to volunteer.
She said she was honoured and surprised to receive an OAM for her work in conservation.
“It’s the community who receives this award not me, it’s about the strength of who we are and what we do together, not as individuals,” she said.
George Hill
A chef whose career was inspired by a fancy-dress competition has been commended for his dedication and commitment to the industry with an AM.
George Hill, who resides in Point Lonsdale, said he considered it a remarkable but humbling achievement as cooking was a lifelong passion and a hobby for him.
Mr Hill said a pivotal moment in his life was when he won a fancy-dress competition dressed as a cook in 1949 which sparked his vision to pursue a culinary career.
His journey officially started in 1955 as an apprentice cook at the Cumberland Hotel in London.
The international culinary judge served as an executive chef and chef de cuisine, earned a number of qualifications and won numerous awards.
The 82-year-old said he was recognised as a pioneer among the Executive Chef Association of Australia and was one of seven people alive with a Black Hat awarded by the Australian Culinary Federation.
He said he also played a significant role in developing many of Australia’s top chefs, as someone who has taught commercial cookery and served as an educational administrator.
“I have a profound sense of gratitude to the many mentors, colleagues, and friends who have influenced my journey, and strongly believe everyone owns a part of this acknowledgment,” he said.
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