Originally from Sydney, I was on an around-Australia surfing trip with no finish date.

I  arrived in Ballina short on money, got a job at the Ballina Slipway as a cabinetmaker/shipwright, boarded in Bentinck St for a couple of weeks.

I then met the woman that owned and ran the Hastie Tastie takeaway café in Ballina. She had a flat to rent at East Ballina, which I and a Sydney guy, Barry Pussell, moved in.

It was about this time we met the guys from the “Big Pink” whilst surfing, and and that’s when I got know Shorty Connors (pictured).

All of the guys had jobs so we didn’t surf through the week much, so on Saturday morning after a big night at the Lobster Pot pub, having at least three tequilas before we left, it then it was on up to the Big Pink, with half of the people from the pub to party on to who knows when.

So at about 10 am we would go around to the Big Pink and wake the guys up for a early morning start to go surfing.

I have plenty of stories, but back to Ronny: I had never met a guy who was so confident of himself and confident of life. When Ron walked he walked with his chest out and his silvery blond hair flowing, even if he was only walking to have a shower. He also surfed with the same attitude.

After some time, maybe 12 months, there was a vacancy at the Big Pink and I was asked by the board of management, Ron being the chairman, if I would like to move in, which I accepted.

I got the dodgy back verandah room. I was so lucky. After some time, I think winter 1971, four of us went to New Zealand for a surf trip and I can’t remember if Ron came with us or came over later, but anyway we were sharing a house in Gisbourne NZ – and this is the reason I have never forgotten Shorty: we were getting dressed to go out partying one night and I was wearing my favorite old, oversize, worn-out, sleeves-torn-off white sloppy joe when Shorty said ‘I really like that shirt. Would you like to swap it for a shirt I have?’, his shirt being a dark blue with white and light-blue stripes with a sort of polo neck  very trendy for the surfing 60s/70s, which in actual fact I did like, so we swapped shirts.

After coming back from NZ in 1972 I stayed in Sydney met my wife, Linda, have 2 boys, 2 girls, so in Xmas 1986 (Adam being the youngest at 2 years) we set off on a renewed pilgrimage to Byron.

It was then I found out about Ronny and I was shocked – dumbfounded. I could not believe it.

Guess what? I still have Ronny’s dark-blue striped surf shirt. It will all ways be Ronny’s, not mine.

You can ask my wife Linda: I don’t show my feelings, but I did shed a tear or two writing this letter.

Best regards

Brian Cronshaw

0414 496 037

(Editor’s note: The Big Pink was a block of flats in Seaview Street in East Ballina. The Hastie Tastie Cafe was run by Shirley Knight, who also owned the Pine Avenue flat referred to. the cafe was located in Cherry St, just up from the Australian Hotel. Shirley and her husband Col later owned the takeaway shop in the river end of Norton Street for quite a few years. ‘Hastie Tastie’ was not the cafe’s real name, but that’s what the local surfers of the day called it.)

The annual awards program is an opportunity for members of the community to be recognised for their outstanding achievements and commitment to our shire.

Award recipients will be announced at the official Australia Day celebrations on Thursday, 26 January, at the Lennox Head Cultural & Community Centre. 
 
Ballina Shire Council is currently seeking nominations for recognition in the following categories: Young Citizen of the Year, Citizen of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, Sports Person of the Year and Community Event of the Year.

All nominees must reside in the Ballina Shire local government area.  
 
The announcement of the awards will be made at the official Australia Day ceremony which will commence at 9.00am at the Lennox Head Cultural & Community Centre. The ceremony will run until 10.30am and include the flag raising, welcome to country by local Bundjalung elder, ambassador address, citizenship and award ceremonies.
 
Award nomination forms can be downloaded from the official event website www.ballinaaustraliaday.com.au or collected from Council’s Customer Service Centre, cnr Cherry & Tamar Streets, Ballina. Nominations close 2pm Friday 6 January 2012.
 
The full Australia Day program of activities will include a special Aussie Day market on Williams Reserve from 8.00am – 1.00pm.

Leading children’s entertainment specialists Byron Bay Kidz Klub will be running kids activities from 9am – noon including parachute games, tug o war, skipping and free face painting.
 
Local one man band Juzzie Smith will be a special live performer, between 11am–1pm.
 
To find out more about what’s happening this Australia Day visit www.ballinaaustraliaday.com.au or contact Holly Archibald, Council’s Events & Grants Support Officer on 66861 457.

PICTURE: Some of the 20111 Australia Day award winners.

NSW Roads and Ports Minister Duncan Gay said of the four that had been judged as having made outstanding and sustained contributions to the maritime community, two hailed from Ballina, one from Port Stephens and one from Sydney.

“A panel of independent representatives from the boating community joined Maritime to judge the nominations and selected the four winners,” Mr Gay said.

“Since the inaugural presentation of State Maritime Medals, 39 individuals or groups have been recognised for their outstanding contributions to boating.

“These medals are an opportunity to recognise special individuals or groups who through their dedication, passion and toil are delivering benefits to a countless number of people.

“They have enriched our community through their self-less commitment.”

The four recipients were presented with individually engraved cast bronze-alloy medallions with lapel pins in a hand-crafted timber case at an awards presentation at the Cruising Yacht Club, Rushcutters Bay.

Maritime Medals are presented in three categories of Safety and Community and judged by an independent selection panel.

2011 Maritime Medal recipients are:

Michael (Mick) O’Connor:
 
Mick, from Ballina, a hardworking teacher for 37 years, established the Marine Teachers Association – of which he is President – where he has grown membership from two to 120 statewide.

The Association is responsible for establishing and offering Marine Studies as a subject, which includes boating safety education, to more than 8000 students each year.

Mick is known as a Marine Studies syllabus writing expert for the Department of Education and Communities.

Mick is responsible for establishing an agreement with Maritime that has resulted in the recognition of the boating component of the Marine Studies course as appropriate for students to attain a licence to drive a powerboat, thereby encouraging the next generation of boaters to attain a solid foundation in safe and responsible behaviour on our waterways.

Additionally, he has a related side project which sees him busy building the Ballina Marine Discovery Centre – with his own hands – which will stand as an ongoing legacy to support marine education on the North Coast for years to come.

Ballina Jet Boat Surf Rescue Inc:

This stand-alone volunteer-run maritime rescue group has been an institution in Ballina for 40 years.

The group, through their own fundraising efforts, operate and staff a rescue jet boat which is often first at the scene of a maritime emergency – including assistance in coastal bar crossing incidents, rock fishing mishaps and general boating distress situations.

The Ballina Jet Boat Surf Rescue Inc is unique in its set up and operation. It is highly regarded and operates with the support of the local Surf Life Saving Club.

Rear Admiral (ret) Tony Hunt AO (Community Medal):

Tony, who is Sydney-based, is the current President of the Sydney Heritage Fleet, a not-for-profit organisation where he has volunteered his time and expertise for 15 years.

Tony is highly regarded for his leadership skills, notably, but not limited to, the restoration of iconic Tall Ship the James Craig.

This award-winning Tall Ship is now based in Sydney Harbour and gives thousands of people each year a rare and unique opportunity to experience sailing aboard a piece of working history.

In 2003 the James Craig was awarded the World Ships Trust Medal for authentic restoration. She joins a select band of restored ships throughout the world, including the Mary Rose (UK 1510), Vasa (Sweden 1627), USS Constitution (USA 1797), Great Britain (UK 1843) and Cutty Sark (UK 1869), which have received this honour.

Peter Phillipson:
 
Peter has for 22 years volunteered his time as a tireless and passionate advocate for volunteer marine rescue in NSW (based in Fingal Bay, Port Stephens).

He was an early supporter and instrumental in encouraging his fellow volunteers in realising the benefits of the formation of one central marine rescue organisation, which is now in operation as the State Government- supported Marine Rescue NSW.

Due to commitment and drive of people such as Peter, Marine Rescue NSW is now providing vital rescue services up and down the coast of NSW.

With a current total of 56 Units and Bases from Eden to Point Danger, Marine Rescue NSW supplies three core services:

• Search and rescue for marine emergencies
• Boating safety education and training
• Radio coverage along NSW coastline

There were also three highly commended nominations:
• Charlie Weir
• Peter Hunter
• Avoca SurfCom

Mrs Richardson, who was flown to Sydney especially for the presentation, was selected from many nominations throughout NSW for her tireless work assisting RSL LifeCare residents and clients.

Dorothy is a Retirement Living resident at Ex-Services, and devotes around 30 hours each week to helping people.

“Mrs Richardson has made an exceptional contribution to the lives of others in care at Ex-Services Ballina, and is a very worthy winner of this prestigious award,” said RSL LifeCare Chairman, Rod White.

“Dorothy has unwavering respect for the privacy and dignity of the elderly. She spends time supporting residents with dementia, assists residents who are vision impaired, and also seeks to spend time with those who are feeling lonely.”

Pam Osborne, Director of Nursing at Ballina Ex-Services, is very proud of Dorothy.

“Dorothy spends time talking with and reassuring people, taking them for walks or simply holding their hand,” she said.

“She encourages residents to take part in activities, and will often bring our more shy residents to and from an activity, and stay with them throughout to provide support and guidance.

“Through her kindness and caring, Dorothy helps provide our residents with a sense of belonging, well-being and self-worth.”

Dorothy is fittingly humble about receiving the award.

“When the call came, I thought it was someone trying to sell me something, and it was one of the few times in my life when I was literally blank,” she said.

Dorothy says that helping others is in the genes, and she gets a lot of pleasure from her volunteering role.

“My feeling is that while I can keep doing this work, I will,” she said.

“It’s not my style to just sit; I like to be busy, and it is really rewarding to see people blossom. Some residents are quite reliant on me, and we have some mad times and some sad times, but mostly we spend a lot of time giggling.”

RSL LifeCare is a charitable organisation providing retirement living, nursing home and community care for some 4500 people throughout NSW. 

Ballina Ex-Services provides a leading aged care service, which is underpinned by a team of dedicated staff whose primary objective is to ensure that residents live in comfort and with dignity.

The Milne-Wood Award is offered annually by the Board of RSL LifeCare to people who have made an outstanding contribution to the service.

PICTURE: Dorothy Richardson (right) and resident Mary Johnstone enjoy a quiet moment together in the gardens at Ex-Services Ballina.

Mr Page said the NSW Carers Awards, funded by the New South Wales Government, were held to recognise outstanding individuals and groups, and help to raise awareness about the vital role carers play in our community.

“There are hundreds of carers in Ballina and they all deserve our recognition for their selfless work in supporting people with a disability, mental illness, chronic health conditions or people who are frail,” Mr Page said.

Mrs O’Connor was named one of 8 Ambassadors and has been recognised in the category of Senior Carer.

Mr Page has also paid tribute to Frank and Patricia Widows, who have been honoured with Local Carer Awards in the category of Caring Family or Parent.

“There were two other nominees from Ballina, and I thank them for their immense contribution in supporting the most vulnerable in the community,” Mr Page said.

“To commemorate NSW Carers Week, the New South Wales Government has also launched a new publication – Helping Service Providers to Identify Young Carers – designed to specifically support people up to 25 years of age who provide care to the most vulnerable in the community.

“Unfortunately, many young people do not identify themselves as carers and they do not get the support they are entitled to, which can affect every aspect of their life.”

For more information, go to the Ageing, Disability and Home Care website at: www.adhc.nsw.gov.au

PICTURE: Mrs Jann O’Connor receiving her award from Don Page and Andrew Constance, Minister for Ageing and Disability Services.

Nikon Australia and Surf Life Saving are urging people to nominate a local surf lifesaver for a chance to be named the first ever Nikon Clubbie of the Year.

This inaugural people’s choice award gives the community the ability to recognise the vital and selfless commitment Surf Life Saving members make.

Any SLS member can be nominated, from a local hero to the volunteer who has tirelessly hosted the charity sausage sizzle each weekend, to the promising young Nipper!

As part of the ongoing partnership with Surf Life Saving, Nikon developed this award as a way of recognising the huge commitment Clubbies across Australia make all year round.

Nikon has contributed a prize pool of up to $330,000 of cash and credit redeemable for Nikon gear which is designed to help SLS clubs across Australia at a local level.

The cash prizes up for grabs will help fund surf lifesaver training programs, rescue gear and first aid supplies and enabling clubs to continue their vital work.

Matt Thompson, Coastal Safety Services Manager from Surf Life Saving Australia, said: “We want everyone to get behind their local surf lifesaving club and nominate a member to ensure their club has access to this generous prize pool. The additional funds will have a huge impact and make a real difference at a local level.”

To nominate yourself or your local Clubbie, visit www.nikonclubbieoftheyear.com.au to register your details by answering three simple questions and uploading a photo. Entries are open until Sunday 4 September 2011. Voting starts Monday 8 September.

During the public voting stage, every vote a Clubbie receives through the Nikon Clubbie of the Year Award earns their club Nikon gear credits and gives them a better chance at being the 2011 Nikon ‘Clubbie of the Year’ and the $5,000 cash prize for them and $5,000 for their club.

For more information about the competition and full terms and conditions, visit www.nikonclubbieoftheyear.com.au

For more than 50 years Paul has been fishing and repairing rods. He eventually extended his skills into building rods from scratch.

He still lives in Lennox Head and continues providing advice on all matters related to the world of fishing.

Paul owned and operated Lennox Head Bait & Tackle for more than eight years, until 2007.

However, closing the shop did not mean that Paul was ready to retire. With a steady stream of fishing enthusiasts knocking on his door to repair and build rods for them, Paul is now the proud operator of Lennox Custom Rods.

Paul specialises in custom-designed rod building including the inscription of the angler’s name and artwork on their rod.

“You can even have your rod built to suit your preferred style of fishing, which will improve your chances of making a catch,” said Paul. “You use shorter rods for boat fishing, different lengths for various types of beach fishing and rock fishing.”

Building a rod from scratch normally takes about four weeks, while repairs usually take from one to two days. Reel repairs are also part of the service offered.

Pricing is negotiable, depending on the individual’s requirements.

For more information, drop in to Lennox Custom Rods at 1/11 Gibbon Street, Lennox Head. You can email Paul at lennoxrods@scherchen.com or phone 0438 877 682.

These people co-ordinate sporting and community events, run fundraisers, fetes and working bees, play active roles in our many community organisations and work tirelessly to help those in need.

Sound like someone you know? The 2011 Ballina Shire Australia Day Awards is your chance to say thank you and pay tribute to our local heroes.

Council is seeking nominations from persons or organisations to recognise service to the community in the following categories:

• Citizen of the Year (over 21 years of age)
• Young Citizen of the Year (under 21 years of age)
• Sports Person of the Year
• Community Event of the Year
• Volunteer of the Year.

Nominees must be Australian citizens and reside within the Ballina Shire. Selection in each category will be based on the level of personal achievement or community service or any other field considered appropriate by the selection committee.

Nominations close 5.00 pm, Wednesday 8 December 2010.

Award presentations will be made at the Ballina Australia Day celebrations at Missingham Park on Wednesday 26 January 2011 at 4.00pm.

To honour a local hero, log onto www.ballinaaustraliaday.com.au or contact Holly Archibald, Council’s Cultural Tourism Officer on phone 6686 3484 or email hollya@ballina.nsw.gov.au

The sculpture is dedicated to the coastal conservation work carried out by Mr Ferris, affectionately known as ‘the Pelican Man’.

“In fostering and supporting local art, council commissioned a local artist to create a unique bronze sculpture that is befitting of the animal conservation work carried out by Lance. The artist behind the sculpture is Wollongbar-based sculptor Frank Miles,” Cr Silver said.

As part of the commemoration Cr Silver will also be officially name the wharf in Fawcett Park ‘Lance Ferris Wharf’.

“It is an appropriate place to acknowledge Lance’s work which started in earnest in 1992 on the sand spit opposite the Fawcett Park wharf after he noticed pelicans were injured by fishing line and hooks,” Cr Silver said.

“The pelicans were rescued, rehabilitated and released. The work soon extended from pelicans to other coastal birds as well as marine turtles.

“Lance was passionate about educating the community in preserving and protecting the coastal environment and all marine wildlife, and it’s fitting that we not only acknowledge his work but also raise awareness for the continued operation of the organisation he founded, the Australian Seabird Rescue.

“Based in Ballina, the volunteer organisation continues to operate around Australia to protect and rescue seabirds and shorebirds.

“This is also largely due to the continued dedication of the Ferris family and the support they receive from volunteers and the community in enduring Lance’s legacy.”

Lance Ferris family members representing the Australian Seabird Rescue service will be present at the unveiling ceremony which will take place at 11am at the wharf in Fawcett Park.

All members of the public are welcome to attend.

The awards showcase those who give up their own time for the good of others – usually unpaid and often without thanks.

Supa IGA Ballina is calling on members of the Ballina community to put forward those who deserve to be acknowledged for their efforts.

Joe Pittini, Queensland and Northern NSW IGA Retail State Board Chairman, said: “This is a really great way for our network of IGA stores to help recognise and reward the people in the community that work tirelessly for others.

“All of our stores across Queensland and northern NSW are committed to supporting local communities, and this is one really positive way of doing just that.” 

Nominations are now open, with a panel of IGA judges selecting eight regional winners who will each receive $1500 towards their charity or not-for-profit organisation of choice.

Of those eight winners, one overall winner will receive $5000 worth of IGA gift vouchers and a further $5000 will be donated to their nominated beneficiary.

“The great thing about this campaign is that anyone can be an Unsung Hero. In 2009, we had over 200 fantastic national Unsung Heroes winners aged between 7 to 89 who, in one way or another, selflessly dedicated their time and effort to various charities and community programs,” Mr Pittini said.

2009 NSW winner Jean Willmington, who has been described as the ‘backbone’ of her area, raised a total of $12,000 for The Cancer Council by organising raffles and morning teas.

Nominations close 9 September. People can nominate online by visiting www.iga.com.au and clicking on IGA Community Chest.

The overall winner will be announced on 19 October.