Anton was inducted as a member of the Rotary Club of Geelong on 23 May 1999 and it was exactly 21 years later to the day, on 23 May 2020, that he passed away. Anton was President of the club in 2008/09 and spent many years as a member of the International Committee, chairing it in 2004/05. He received a Paul Harris Fellow recognition in 2004 and in 2011, he received “The Avenues of Service Citation” which is the highest a club can make to a member. In January 2015, Anton received an Order of Australia Medal for service to the community of Geelong.
Anton’s great passion was Papua New Guinea and he started leading teams to the Oro Bay area in 2001 and over several years succeeded in putting on a water supply and water treatment system to St Margaret’s Hospital in Oro Bay. For example, following Cyclone Guba in 2007, Anton was instrumental in developing and implementing a plan to relocate and rebuild Sariri Village near Popondetta in PNG, after it was demolished by the cyclone. This was a multiyear project which continued for well over 10 years. Anton took annual teams to PNG many times to assist in the construction of a new school, cyclone-proof houses, water and sanitation systems and solar power to the village.
Anton also helped coordinate the purchase of a portable sawmill with the help of several clubs in the District to enable the village to establish a timber cutting and milling business to support the project. Anton also sourced a playground from the City of Greater Geelong and relocated it to the school and facilitated setting up a village committee to manage the business.
In 2005, following the devastating Tsunami in South-East Asia, a committee of local business leaders in Geelong (InterAct) was set up, chaired by Anton, which coordinated and funded a new medical centre in Vilankulam in Sri Lanka, in conjunction with the Rotary Club of Trincomalee. In addition, water and sanitation facilities were provided to the village and a container of medical equipment was sent from DIK for the centre. Anton went to Sri Lanka to undertake the preliminary project appraisal and then followed up with a final inspection.
Anton also participated in many local Rotary projects in Geelong. The major project he coordinated was the building of the White Cottages at the McKellar Centre. Stage 1 of the project was initiated in 2008 and involved the development of two self-contained one and two-bedroom residential units with disability access for visiting families at the McKellar Centre facility (palliative care). It was completed in 2012.
In 2013, Stage 2 of the project was initiated to design and build two motel style units from three unused rooms located behind Units 1 and 2, specifically designed for Doctors’ overnight stays at the McKellar Centre. This was completed and handed over to Barwon Health on 1 July 2014.
Anton was a member of DIK Geelong for over 20 years and was District DIK Chair in 2008/09 and 2013/14. He was D9780 RAWCS representative from 2007/08 and was District Chair in 2008/09 and 2013/14. He was instrumental in the shipping of containers of donated goods to many Pacific Island countries as well as Africa, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, the Philippines, and many other countries. Since its beginning, DIK Geelong has sent more than 340 containers to many varied destinations with all goods being shipped as requested by the recipients.
The above are just a few examples of the great work Anton undertook in his time in Rotary. Anton was passionate about his work as a Rotarian, always committed to helping others, and particularly our neighbours in developing countries, with his tireless work through DIK. A truly extraordinary man, who will be sadly missed.
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