Mt Evelyn tops awards

MOUNT Evelyn residents took out three of four certificates of recognition in the Yarra Ranges Australia Day awards.
Friends of Warburton Trail and Friends of Wanderslore Sanctuary volunteer Ivor Chalkley, guinea pig advocate Georgia McAleer and the Mount Evelyn RSL all received certificates at the Australia Day ceremony in Chirnside Park last Saturday.
Mr Chalkley was selected for his efforts as a volunteer, which he has been doing for more than 15 years.
He personally maintains areas of the Warburton Trail, planting some thousands of trees, and has engaged school groups for working bees, planting and maintaining the trail.
He was very humble upon accepting his award
“I haven’t done any more than a lot of people before me, so I accept it on behalf of the others,” he said.
“My wife would say it’s a bit of a passion, I would say I enjoy doing it and it’s something I like to do.
“It makes me happy to see people with bikes, prams, horses and dogs going along the Warburton Trail, it’s great.”
Youngster Georgia McAleer made headlines when she wrote a letter to Yarra Ranges Council objecting to its local laws draft to restrict the number of guinea pigs to less than two per household.
When she wrote a plea to council to revise the law to save her three guinea pigs, little did she know she would receive an award for her passion for animals.
“I feel really thankful because I wasn’t expecting this at all,” she said.
“We got it in the mail and I never get mail at my house so I opened it and reading it I was like ‘no, this isn’t me’ but dad was like ‘yeah it’s you, you got it’, so I went around and rang everyone to tell them I got it.
“I was really excited because I just couldn’t believe it.
“I hoped at the very most that they’d stop the laws and if they did that I would’ve been happy – it was all about saving my guinea pigs, I love them and I just didn’t want to be without any of them.”
The Mount Evelyn RSL was chosen for its involvement in the community and for undertaking projects around the town.
The RSL has been running for 43 years to provide support to ex-service people and has been going from strength to strength.
It was on the verge of folding at one point, but a group of dedicated committee members brought it back from the brink and grew it to what it is today.
President Roger Boness said the club was very proud of the award.
“We’re really over the moon, it’s just such an honour for the RSL to be recognised in this manner and appreciated by our community,” he said.
“I attribute it to the hard work of the committee and members during 2012 – it’s been a real thrill and a real commitment by the members and committee.
“Going from danger of folding to in excess of 70 members, is a real monument to the commitment and the hard work that our people have done over the years.
“We see ourselves as a community service and we provide this community with Anzac and Remembrance Day services and associated activities.”