Lorne Victoria Australia

Lorne people with family names starting with A.

• Addison, Ric and Sue
• Allen, Gary
• Allen Family
• Alsop Family
• Anderson Family
• Armistead, Anna
• Armistead, Leon

Addison, Ric and Sue (2017)

Sue and Ric Addison, 2017

Ric and Sue met as teenagers at Ric’s then girlfriend’s house. Their first date was to The Melbourne Cup! They have been married for 52 years and had two children. Sadly their son died in 2012.

Their family camped in Lorne for holidays when the children were young. The block they bought in Moggs Creek was burnt in the ’83 fires but one month later they bought their Lorne house.

The highlight of Ric’s career in the construction industry was his ten years as part of Sir Roy Ground’s team, working on the Melbourne Arts Centre Complex. Although he left in 1989 he still speaks enthusiastically about being involved in such an exciting project with such inspiring people. When he left Sir Roy Ground’s practice, he joined the Buchanan Group in Melbourne for 12 years then in Sydney for a further five years.

Sue went to Business College when she left school, afterwards getting work as a secretary in advertising agencies. She then took time out to have their two children. As an involved Mum in the local school’s Parents’ Club she was exposed to The Federation of State School Parents Clubs, the President of which was Joan Kirner.  Sue joined the organisation as administration secretary. Joan left 18 months later to go into politics. When she became Minister for Conservation, Sue joined her as private secretary, staying in the position as Joan moved to Education and then Premier of Victoria. Sue had worked in politics for six years when Labour lost the election in 1992. She came to Lorne to recover from the disappointment and never went back. “It had been a seven day a week job and I had had enough “ However, eventually she was persuaded to become the receptionist /secretary for the Lorne Medical Clinic where she worked for six years.

 After flying to Sydney Mondays and returning Fridays for his work for too long, Ric retired in years 2017 and moved to Lorne permanently. His passion is fishing from his boat and sitting on his deck ocean gazing in warm weather. He’s a member of the Mens’ Shed and Aquatic Club.

Sue is part of the OPP Shop team, loves reading and having the grandchildren to stay regularly.

Every winter they drive up the East Coast of Australia looking at what they used to fly over. “We had been everywhere but had seen nothing.”

CW

Allen, Gary (2017)

Gary Allen, 2017

Gary’s grandparents’ families (Allen and Anderson) came to Lorne in the 1870’s – the Allen’s as orchardists and the Andersons’ as brick makers.

Born in 1946 and raised by loving parents Norm and Kath, Gary and his sisters Judith and Barbara had a wonderful childhood in Lorne.

Educated at the Lorne School and then Belmont High School (as the Lorne School in the 1950’s finished at year 8), Gary completed Economics and Education degrees at Melbourne University.   He taught economics at Melbourne High School and became principal of the Lorne School in 1990 and then in 1997 principal of Ararat Secondary College.

When principal at the Lorne School the school community amalgamated with the Airey’s Inlet Primary School, expanded the bus routes to welcome students from a broader area, expanded the footprint of the school by incorporating the Lorne RSL building and pioneered imaginative curriculum initiatives, including; vocational courses in hospitality, the expansion of music teaching, the introduction of French and Indonesian, the beginning of student written musical productions and multi-aged classes across upper primary and lower secondary levels.

After retiring from teaching Gary took a leadership role in state and national rural education advocacy, worked at Ballarat University and ventured into private enterprise in the cabaret scene in Melbourne.

Since his return to Lorne he has become involved in the Lorne Historical Society, the Lorne Bowls Club, the Lorne Community Hospital Board, the Festival for the Performing Arts and the committee of the Lorne Lions Village.  Under Gary’s leadership the Historical Society is up-grading its room and digitizing the photographic collection and the Bowls Club has more members playing pennant, with two teams winning premierships last year. There are plans for lighting the green to improve access to bowling for community members in the winter months.

GF

Armistead, Anna (2018)

Anna Armistead, 2018

Anna grew up in Hamilton, the eldest of seven children, and went to a small local school until she joined the MacArthur Post Office as a part time telephonist. “In those days you did everything else as well – from washing the floors to serving at the counter”. She was transferred to Hamilton to a full time position but was still asked to do some relief work around the Western District. In 1969 she was moved to the Geelong Telephone Exchange.

In the summer of 1972 Anna came to Lorne as a relief telephonist. She and four other girls boarded with Meryl and Len Fulton. “ I remember it so well. She had five small daughters, a husband operating a fishing boat and still the time to care for us so well AND of course that’s when I met Leon”. They were married in 1973.

Anna and Leon’s three children were born in the Lorne Hospital at the time Mary Stirling was a nurse.  The Armisteads owned and operated the Caltex Service Station on Mountjoy Parade and lived on site for 12 years before building their own home. Apart from the twelve years they lived in Geelong where they had a video shop, they have lived in it ever since.

Anna has a long list of community involvement. She is a life member of the Kindergarten, has served on the School Mothers Club and the Footy and Netball Club. She has been President of the reinstated Lorne Girl Guides years ago. She was a Lions Club lady for many years.

“I’ve never been really into sport but I believe I am the only winner of the Goanna Award from Badminton days but I attend the weekly exercises at the hospital and sometimes walk the dog.”

What Anna loves is craft. She knits and sews – mainly for their six grandchildren – and is a member of the Ladies Craft Group in Lorne which meets every week. She also loves the movies. Names like Michael Caine, Donald Sutherland and Kevin Costner roll easily off her tongue .

CW

Armistead, Leon (2018)

Leon Armistead, 2016

“I tried retirement for three years but I felt I was going stale” so for the past four years Leon has been driving the local school bus and loving it.  Having some part time experience with school buses in Geelong when he and his wife were living there, he jumped at the opportunity when a vacancy for a bus driver came up in Lorne.

The Armistead family is synonymous with the town.  Leon’s family came first in the late 30’s as saw millers.  He grew up and went to the local school before joining the family business.  When the business diversified and acquired the lease for firstly the Caltex Service Station then the BP, Leon took over the management.  As if that wasn’t enough but during that time, he was a member of the Lorne CFA and had his turn at Captain, drove the ambulance, was a charter member and president the Lorne Lions Club, secretary of the Cemetery Trust and treasurer of the Football Cub.  Since he was also a licensed tow truck driver, it was no wonder he was known as, “The Hatch, Batch and Dispatch Officer”.  Because of his presence on the main street, he was often the first port of call in an emergency.  It was difficult sometimes to know which hat he was wearing.

“I love the bush. I know I used to cut it down but today the science available allows proper management and makes it possible to cultivate and exploit the bush at the same time.

I love my dog, Reg and walk him daily. I love the outback but my work made holidays almost impossible”.  When he stops work he plans to take a real holiday.

He is married to Anna whom he met while she was working in Lorne in a summer job.  He has three children and so far, 5 grandchildren.

He misses the old village feel of a small community but feels that the Aquatic Club represents the last bastion of that past.  He has recently been elected vice commodore and is passionate about maintaining the friendly, welcoming ambience and being involved in the exciting future of the club.

  CW

Sources

• Lorne Historical Society Collections
• Surf Coast Times, Committee for Lorne Page, Community Profile by Cynthia Wynhoven.