My Speech for April 7 2009 Launch – Kogarah’s Volunteer Heroes Publication
Location :
Forecourt Kogarah Library
Acknowledgements:
Mayor , Councillor Nick Varvaris
Councillors
General Manager, Paul Woods and Council staff
Distinguished Guests
Local History Librarians Rockdale , Kogarah and Hurstville Councils
Kogarah’s Volunteer Heroes had its birth from my late fathers’s passing in late January 2007. I had spent a lot of time in researching, and preparing the Eulogy for my late father’s funeral . I came to wonder how many wonderful people we have involved in the Kogarah community, who have not had their life’s work recognized.
I discussed the idea with Alison Murphy, Manager of Community Services and Library Services, and a Notice of Motion was born. It was put to Kogarah Council on September 24 2007 . Council approved the project and the rest is history , so to speak . A Committee was formed ; its first meeting was held in late January 2008 .
The Leader was a valuable source of publicity for the project as was Kogarah Life.
Terms of Reference were determined, so the Committee could then process the nominations.
Arabella Lee stepped in, to undertake the enormous task of interviewing those people, who had been nominated. She had to then research those people nominated who were deceased.
I would like to take the opportunity to thank Arabella Lee , and Mark Norman, Manager of Library Services, for their dedication to the project . Alison Grellis, Local History Librarian, who retired during the course of the project is to be thanked for her professional input. The Committee members: Ron Kutcher, Beverley Earnshaw, James Doncas, Aziz Moustafa and myself were there because we believed in the Project . An enormous heart felt thanks from myself.
The Committee did not know whether we would achieve our end goal of launching the project during Heritage Week. With the Committee’s and Council staff ‘s support and hard work and enthusiasm we have achieved this objective.
I congratulate all those people who have been included in the publication today. There are some fascinating life stories recorded here. I invite you to read Kogarah’s Volunteer Heroes with the pride, which so admirably reflects the way we view our local Kogarah community .
Anne Field, Committee Chair
Kogarah
