Cameron Weston
ONE of Hobsons Bay’s most dedicated citizens was last week honoured for his years of service promoting the arts and protecting the local environment.
Geoff Mitchelmore, from Altona North, was named as a recipient of the Medal of the Order of Australia in recognition of his decades of dedication to local causes.
Mr Mitchelmore is the founder and president of the Friends of Lower Kororoit Creek and has been instrumental in ensuring the creek is improved and preserved.
He is also a current member of community liaison committees working with local industry giants like Toyota, Mobil and Monsanto Chemicals to ensure neighbouring communities are not adversely affected by industry.
His contribution to the now thriving arts scene in Hobsons Bay has been equally impressive.
He was a founding member and a driving force behind the establishment of the Altona City Theatre, was the inaugural president of the Altona Arts Advisory Council in 1985 and was intimately involved with the establishment of the Altona Civic Theatre Complex in the 1980s.
“That was a magnificent part of my life,” he recalled, “Arts and theatre have been a major part of my life for the past 30 years.
“The night that the mayor of the day gave me the keys to the theatre was a big moment for me.”
Mr Mitchelmore said finding the motivation and enthusiasm to continue supporting local initiatives was part of his personality.
“When I take something on, I put my heart and soul into it.
“I’m driven, I guess. I see an issue and I like to resolve it if I can.
“I just get so much pleasure walking down the (Kororoit) creek and seeing how much it has changed over the last five years … It’s a real buzz.
“Then to dream about what it might be like five years from now motivates me even further.”
While Mr Mitchelmore draws his energy from within, he said none of his achievements would have been possible without the help of others.
“I’m really receiving this medal on behalf of a group of people.
“The award is in recognition of everybody, of many people, and I’m just receiving it on their behalf. It really is a joint effort.
“Without the support of my family, and in particular my wife, this could never have happened.”
Nominations to the Order of Australia come directly from individuals or groups in the community and are considered by the Honours Secretariat in Canberra.
The 19-member Council for the Order of Australia then makes recommendations to the Governor-General.
Awards in the Order of Australia are publicly announced on Australia Day and the Queen’s Birthday public holiday in June.
