Rotarian gets the job done

WENDOUREE’S Ronald Pickford said his life of service to Rotary and the Australian building and design sector has come from a need to get the job done.

He has become and Member of the Order of Australia for his contributions.

“This has come to me as an award and I have no idea who did it and how it came about, but it made me question why did I do those things?” he said.

“I only do it because it needs to be done.”

Mr Pickford began donation his time with Rotary Ballarat in 1985 and has since travelled around the world with the aim of changing people’s lives for the better.

“I’ve always been involved, and I served as secretary, then as treasure, then a lot of work for youth exchange programs and I was then nominated by Rotary International to be district governor.”

Mr Pickford was then invited to become a cadre technical expert, working in places like India, the Philippines, Vanuatu, Thailand and Kenya.

“One moment I hold dearly is when I travelled to India to take part in the immunising of children against the virulent, evil polio virus,” he said.

“It was really such an experience knowing that if you give two drops of the vaccine to a child, it was going to save them ever getting a debilitating virus.”

Mr Pickford’s time is not limited to humanitarian work, he is also the director of Pickford and Associates and has made significant contributions to the building and design industry.

“One aspect of it that I’m very proud of is what was known then as the Building Designers Association of Victoria,” he said.

“I was a charter member of that and the first elected president and that has now grown into a national organisation which is highly respected within the building design sector of Australia.

“One of the significant objectives of that organisation was to protect the consumer so that if they engaged designing consultant, they knew that that person was registered.”

Mr Pickford also worked with what was then known as the University of Ballarat to develop its architectural design faculty.

In a few weeks’ time Mr Pickford is set to head to India for more work with Rotary and he said he has no intention of stopping.

“I will continue doing what I’ve done in the past,” he said.