By Derek Schlennstedt
This year the Emerald community lost two of its beloved citizens.
Over decades, David Greenaway and John Dudley contributed in their own ways to the rich arts culture of the Emerald Township.
That is why The Emerald Village Committee made the decision on October 23 to award two posthumous Citizen of the Year Awards to David Greenaway and John Dudley in recognition of their positive leadership and unfailing dedication to Emerald.
David Greenaway made quite an impact when he first arrived in the Dandenong Ranges from England in 1977, and it was an impact that would leave an enduring legacy until his death in April, this year.
His celebrity status in Emerald came from being kind to everyone he met, but he was also a guiding voice and teacher to many of the individuals who wandered through the doors at the Gem Community Arts Centre in Emerald – which he just so happened to be founder of.
From a very small meeting of 20 people in 1980 Gemco was born and today offers a range of locally written and produced shows.
John Dudley was of course another enduring and crucial part of the Emerald Community and sadly passed away in March this year.
In 1989 John and his wife June moved to Emerald, building a life for themselves and a studio in their house where they could practice art.
Both loved the small hills community and both were lovers of art which eventually lead John to become members of various art societies, including the Victorian, Ferntree Gully, and Sherbrooke and of course the Emerald Art society, which john was a president at for a number of years.
Chairman of the Emerald Village Committee, Dick Bartley said that the committee felt it was best to recognise the immense contribution the two men made by awarding them with a posthumous Citizen of the Year Award.
We just felt given all the things they’ve done they’ve done they were standouts and I don’t think you’d get anybody disagreeing,” he said.
“David was the one who set up Gemco which is quite a feat.”
He and a number of people worked hard and eventually were able to establish a terrific facility for the community and form there train kids and people in the performing arts.”
John’s biggest impact was he was a very good artist and he worked in the Emerald Art Society which is quite a big group in emerald, and he along with others were a driving force in getting the arts society to the point where it today.”
“These two people really served the community rather than themselves and they were dedicated to making Emerald a better place.”
