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I have a bent for grassroots yarns and from 2103-16 published a community website, Southport Star, yarns about the people, the places and the power of one of the Gold Coast's oldest communities - and its CBD.
Member: Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance |
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In my community development role, I volunteer in the areas of older men's health, seniors issues, social isolation and mental health.
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My journey
I left the public service after 18 years in 2011 to pursue community development work and now volunteer in the areas of elder abuse prevention, older males and homelessness. I am a victim representative for the Youth Justice Conferencing program.
I was an early but temporary secretary of the foundation committee which established the Labrador Men's Shed, the first one for the Gold Coast.
I founded and was inaugural President of Bloke's Lounge Inc, a welcoming and friendly place where blokes aged 50+ can meet new people and make new mates.
I helped establish the Gold Coast Street Library and co-coordinated its Southport service for some years.
I am an active participant on the Gold Coast City Council community consultation panel and previously the Medicare Local (now Gold Coast Primary Health Network) consultation panel/forums. Through the Network's Partners in Recovery program I helped people with mental illness record their journeys to recovery.
For some time I was a member of the Gold Coast Senior Regional Roundtable, helping develop the Gold Coast Seniors Action Plan. Previously I have been involved in Apex, Neighbourhood Watch, Community Youth Support Scheme, Inverell Police-Community Liaison Committee, Inverell Shire Council Tourism sub-committee and the Australian Inland Fishing Championships.
Earlier journeys:
I worked as a menswear shop assistant, trades assistant and labourer before entering journalism at The Northern Miner, Charters Towers.
I was a journalist, sub-editor and editor in Charters Towers, Townsville, Mackay, Inverell (NSW) and Brisbane, winning many state awards. I also worked for some months in the secretariat for a regional organisation of local government councils. I was briefly a media officer for a Federal MP.
Upon the demise of Brisbane's afternoon newspaper The Sun in 1991, I joined the Queensland public service as a media and communications officer.
In my younger days in North Queensland and NSW I was also a bit of a pot stirrer, known for in-your-face headlines - Poofs in the Park is the most infamous - and (often too-dogged) coverage of council affairs. However, I mellowed after 18 years working in challenging but rewarding areas including vocational education, child safety, disability services, youth justice, homelessness, seniors, domestic and family violence, disaster recovery and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander programs.
As a "ship's drover", I accompanied live cattle shipments to Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. My task was to ensure the safe carriage of the cattle, which were destined for breeding programs, not slaughter. I reported on Indonesia's fledgling Transmigration Program, which aimed to encourage people to shift from the over-populated Java to Sumatra by offering a small plot of land, a house, a cow and seeds for two seasons.
I left the public service after 18 years in 2011 to pursue community development work and now volunteer in the areas of elder abuse prevention, older males and homelessness. I am a victim representative for the Youth Justice Conferencing program.
I was an early but temporary secretary of the foundation committee which established the Labrador Men's Shed, the first one for the Gold Coast.
I founded and was inaugural President of Bloke's Lounge Inc, a welcoming and friendly place where blokes aged 50+ can meet new people and make new mates.
I helped establish the Gold Coast Street Library and co-coordinated its Southport service for some years.
I am an active participant on the Gold Coast City Council community consultation panel and previously the Medicare Local (now Gold Coast Primary Health Network) consultation panel/forums. Through the Network's Partners in Recovery program I helped people with mental illness record their journeys to recovery.
For some time I was a member of the Gold Coast Senior Regional Roundtable, helping develop the Gold Coast Seniors Action Plan. Previously I have been involved in Apex, Neighbourhood Watch, Community Youth Support Scheme, Inverell Police-Community Liaison Committee, Inverell Shire Council Tourism sub-committee and the Australian Inland Fishing Championships.
Earlier journeys:
I worked as a menswear shop assistant, trades assistant and labourer before entering journalism at The Northern Miner, Charters Towers.
I was a journalist, sub-editor and editor in Charters Towers, Townsville, Mackay, Inverell (NSW) and Brisbane, winning many state awards. I also worked for some months in the secretariat for a regional organisation of local government councils. I was briefly a media officer for a Federal MP.
Upon the demise of Brisbane's afternoon newspaper The Sun in 1991, I joined the Queensland public service as a media and communications officer.
In my younger days in North Queensland and NSW I was also a bit of a pot stirrer, known for in-your-face headlines - Poofs in the Park is the most infamous - and (often too-dogged) coverage of council affairs. However, I mellowed after 18 years working in challenging but rewarding areas including vocational education, child safety, disability services, youth justice, homelessness, seniors, domestic and family violence, disaster recovery and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander programs.
As a "ship's drover", I accompanied live cattle shipments to Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. My task was to ensure the safe carriage of the cattle, which were destined for breeding programs, not slaughter. I reported on Indonesia's fledgling Transmigration Program, which aimed to encourage people to shift from the over-populated Java to Sumatra by offering a small plot of land, a house, a cow and seeds for two seasons.
