If the COVID pandemic has taught us one thing, it’s that we cannot thrive in isolation. Our wellbeing relies heavily upon the power of community and connection. On the eve of my retirement from my role as Director of Revesby Workers’ Club, I feel immense gratitude for the positive impact that the Club has had on my life and my community.

I first started visiting the Revesby Workers’ Club with a group of mates in 1967. We were soon swept up in the fun and friendly atmosphere and that sense of connection that we were craving as young people learning about the world. We became members as soon as we could (age 21 back in those days) and set about enjoying all the Club had to offer.

The sporting clubs were very popular, and I soon joined the golf club and the A-reserve cricket team, enjoying success as Minor Premiers and Premiers. Joining these clubs was as much about the friendships and celebrations as it was about the sport. I’ve also represented Revesby Workers’ Club at snooker, darts, lawn bowls and basketball creating some treasured memories.

After meeting a lovely young lady named Lesley on the East Hills train line to work one morning, we enjoyed our first date at the Revesby Workers’ Club in 1969. We had dinner in the club dining room and watched a show in the auditorium. This is still our favourite thing to do on a Saturday night as lucky for me she agreed to marry me, and we celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary last year.

In 1980 when our daughters were aged 4 and 6 years, we moved to a quiet street in Milperra near the golf course. When developers tried to have the golf course rezoned to permit residential housing on this land, I started a successful small residents’ action group opposing this proposal. Little did I know that this would set me on a path of community service and representation that would last for decades. I was soon endorsed as the ALP candidate in the 1987 Bankstown Council West Ward election, and I went on to be a Councillor for 29 continuous years until I retired in 2016 when Bankstown City Council was amalgamated with Canterbury Council.

I had the incredible honour of being the Mayor of Bankstown for five terms which was a great experience and created
memories which I will cherish forever. Most notable was Bankstown’s involvement in the 2000 Sydney Olympics and the partnership we forged with the USA Olympic team as well as countless local projects designed to make Bankstown a great place to live and work.

Throughout this time, I enjoyed a great relationship with Revesby Workers’ Club, feeling very supported in my Council role and in 2006 I was approached to put myself forward for election to the Revesby Workers’ Club Board of Directors. I have been serving as a director ever since and it’s been an incredible privilege to be part of the evolution of the Club into a real community hub encompassing expanded entertainment and dining options, healthcare, fitness facilities, childcare and more.

The time has now come for me to retire from the Board of Directors to spend more time with my two daughters, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, most of whom live in Wollongong and Berry. I leave the Club in very good
hands, with a robust Board and an incredible team of staff. A heartfelt thanks to all the Directors and staff I have worked with over the years. I would like to also specifically thank the people connected to the sub-clubs I have worked with – you represent the true spirit of the Club and its connection to our community. It’s a strange feeling to be retiring from official duties after serving the community for 35 years. You’ll still see me regularly though, especially at the Club enjoying a meal and a show or at Health Mates. The enjoyment and pride that I feel being part of the Club now is no different to what it was when I was a bright-eyed 21-year-old. From the Club’s humble beginnings as a small place to meet for a drink to the thriving hub with some 70,000 members it is today, the essence has stayed the same. We all need that connection and community just as much now in 2022 as we did back in 1962.