Helping to make a difference

Phillip Nickson was born in Sydney and grew up in Chipping Norton about 25 kilometres west of the city with its country feel. “We had around seven acres of land on which we kept horses, a cow and poultry and our dogs and cats,” he said. “With my wife and children, I have lived in Rutherglen for more than 30 years." What did you do workwise? I retired in 2017 after earlier working in the grain Industry and for the second half of my working life at Uncle Tobys in Wahgunyah. My grain work mainly involved post-harvest grain and grain storage husbandry, while Uncle Tobys saw me working in product quality and processing, grain quality as well as procurement and manufacturing facility hygiene. What brought you to your role/career? Growing up in Chipping Norton gave me an interest in agriculture which was further nurtured when I attended Hurlstone Agricultural High School located in Glenfield. After high school I attended Hawkesbury Agricultural College. This together with my experiences growing up, sparked my interest in agriculture. My first job after college was in the wheat industry with the then called Australian Wheat Board followed by roles in the grain storage industry, latterly with the Grain Elevators Board in Victoria. It was with this organisation that my wife and I came to live in Rutherglen. What did you love about your work? Working with so many positive, motivated and innovative individuals and groups of people. The necessity to innovate and seek alternative solutions enabled me to put my technical training and education into practice in many ways throughout my career from grain storage and management requirements to meeting food and hygiene standards in the food processing industry. What do you do in the community? I have been involved in a number of volunteer roles, particularly in Apex and in later years in Rotary. My main motivations have been to learn more about what is happening in the local community and to try to improve life for community members primarily locally and where possible, nationally and internationally. Is there an important community issue that you think needs addressing? Volunteering, or the lack of it, is a major concern to me and volunteer organisations with which I’m associated. What would you do to solve change, improve that situation? In Rotary, as with other volunteer groups, we try to focus on providing the opportunity for more people to participate in our activities. We need to help people understand that volunteering adds to a person's life and does not restrict it. Volunteer organisations need to facilitate such opportunities. It is incumbent upon volunteer organisations to realise that change may be a necessity if they are to be of relevance in a changing world. What do you see as one of the most important current world issues? Instability, both socially and economically seem to dominate the world scene. If the person you would most like to meet came to Indigo Shire (past or present), or was already here, who would that be, what would you show them, and why? Former Justice of the High Court, Michael Kirby. He has shared his view of the world, its inequities and opportunities at a number of Rotary Club forums and I would like to be able to hear him speak and speak with him in Rutherglen. I understand that he enjoys a glass of red wine and so it would not be difficult to select suitable locations/venues in Rutherglen to share with Mr Kirby. What book are you reading? I’m reading two books – ‘Bert Hinkler, The Most Daring Man in the World.’ A story about an Australian pioneering aviator and inventor celebrated for his solo flights and innovative designs, and ‘American Journey’ by Australian journalist Don Watson. Mr Watson discusses his train travels through the USA.

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