HE appears before dawn armed with a bucket, a broom and a leaf blower, to clean the streets around the Spotswood shops – for the good of the nation.
Warren Judd, believes local shopping centres, and the communities they support, are the glue holding Australia together.
And every morning, seven days a week, he is out there on Hudsons Rd, come rain, hail or shine.
Mr Judd turned 77 last week and the Spotswood traders, who have come to treasure the passionate and dedicated man, gave a bit back by taking him out and pitching in for a birthday present.
While many people struggle to get out of bed, especially in winter, Mr Judd draws endless motivation from what he sees as the bigger picture.
“I feel for the Spotswood people, but I’m doing this for Australia, really.
“I’ve always been attracted to local shopping centres. It’s the sense of community and identity, the unity and cohesion,” he said.
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“These places are vital to the nation.
“I’ve got this deep feeling in my heart that these local centres, across the nation, should be revitalised.”
Babe Symonds from the chicken shop in Hudsons Road said Mr Judd had become a fixture around the shopping strip, and is universally loved by traders and locals alike.
“Everybody appreciates what he does. He does it of his own accord.
“He’s there, seven days a week. He took it upon himself. He is very passionate and he has a great relationship with the traders”
Mr Judd said councils had good intentions when they spend money on painting, pruning and installing seats, but he said the true heart of a community village beats in the people that use it.
“The council has done its work but they don’t really know how to finish it off.
“They’re wasting their money putting all the physical things in place but they don’t challenge the community to come together.
“It means involving the elderly, the lonely and the young in the community.”
Mr Judd has taken his mission to Canberra in the past, attaching to the roof racks of his car a home-made sign calling for the protection and advancement of local shopping centres.
He said he “drove round and round Parliament House” spruiking his message until security intercepted him and told him to move on.
Then his young niece suggested he change his focus and do something positive for his local centre as the first step of a wider campaign.
He has been rising with the sparrows ever since to do his work in Spotswood.
The daily clean takes Mr Judd about an hour, and he has been doing it for a little over a year.
Just as Mr Judd gives to the street and the neighbourhood, so it seems the favour is returned. While cleaning one morning, Mr Judd discovered a $50 note on the ground.
When nobody claimed the cash he invested it in – what else – a leaf blower.
