He was a founding member of bodies including Lubeck Tennis Club, and Rupanyup’s VFF Landcare, community-owned newsagency and progress association, and he has also been secretary of at least six groups, including Rupanyup’s football club, fishing club, tennis club, and the Rupanyup and District Consultative Committee.
Mr Tyler said he had volunteered in the Rupanyup community since he was 19, steering more toward committee roles than active sporting roles.
“My father was born here and I was born here – I don’t know any different – the town has supported me and our family-owned business,” he said.
“I was the inaugural secretary of the amalgamated Methodist and public tennis clubs, and a part of that was to go down to the post office with the 10-cent pieces and ring everybody to organise teams every week – I didn’t have a phone at home.”
Mr Tyler played football for Rupanyup until a shoulder injury sent him to marathon running.
He later returned to fill in.
“I usually sat on the bench, but one day someone didn’t turn up, so I had to go straight onto the ground after working at the hardware,” he said.
“I tore a hamstring. I thought, ‘bugger this, I’m gone’.”
Mr Tyler’s vision – and self-admitted inability to say ‘no’ to requests for assistance – has seen the development of, and his legacy in, many town spaces.
He has sourced grants to plant trees around Jack’s Track each year, and spends hours watering and weeding.
Mr Tyler organised the town’s Red Cross Blood Challenge team during each year’s campaign, scheduling people and transport to go to Horsham’s blood bank.
“I’ve been a blood donor pretty much all my life. I gave 128 donations – although when I got to 80, I struggled because I was low in iron and got kicked out, but I was determined to keep giving,” he said.
Mr Tyler was part of the Rupanyup Consultative Committee, including the role of secretary for 20 years, where he oversaw the installation of the main street’s noticeboard, building the walking track, and establishment of the Men’s Shed.
He sourced grants and local funding to raise money for the Men’s Shed, sparking the initiation of two more major community projects.
“The owner of the newsagency struggled to sell and was going to close, so I got a group of 19 of us together and bought the house and business newsagency,” he said.
“We kept that going for seven years. Then we got the Bendigo Bank Community Bank started – I think we had to raise $250,000. I thought we could do it easily, because when raising money for the paper shop, I had people knocking.
“There were plenty of people wanting to chuck money in for the town.”
Mr Tyler said he was humbled and honoured when he was told of his OAM.
“When they announced it, I thought, ‘no, people like me don’t get these awards. They go to doctors and people that do research, firefighters, and all that sort of stuff’,” he said.
“But when you have a look around, you see the whole town runs on volunteers.
“I feel honoured, for sure. It’s nice to be recognised for all the hours that I put in, and am still putting in – it doesn’t mean I’m going to stop.”
Tellefson recognised
Donald’s Leo Tellefson has also been announced as an Order of Australia Medallist this year.
Mr Tellefson’s service to the Buloke Shire community has included being mayor and a councillor of Buloke Shire Council; and a board member with Rural and Business Community, Buloke Community Enterprises Board, and East Wimmera Health Service.
He has served with Johnson Goodwin Homes, Donald Community Centre-Learning Group, Donald and District Racing Club, and North West Community Advisory Council.
He has also been a member of the band Blend for more than 40 years, and is a part-owner of Donald’s Family Butcher.
AM for Petering
Lawyer Sonia Petering has been recognised for her significant service to the law, and to the finance and business sectors, with a Member of the Order of Australia, AM.
Ms Petering was director, among other roles, of then-Wimmera Mallee Water from 2001 until 2006.
She has also been director and lawyer at Sonia Petering Lawyer since 2001, and has had significant leadership roles at TAL Dai-ichi Life Australia, Qantm Intellectual Property, Virtus Health Limited, Cuscal Ltd, Rural Finance Corporation of Victoria, Australian Institute of Company Directors, and Transport Accident Commission.
Ms Petering has been a member of the Law Institute of Victoria since 1994.
All award recipients will attend investiture ceremonies at Government House in coming months to receive the insignia of their award.
