Bellarine’s best honoured on Australia Day

A BARWON Heads resident who was one of the visionaries of Angus beef cattle in Australia is among those on the Bellarine recognised in this year’s Australia Day Honours List.

The late Andrew Gubbins was awarded the medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his service to the beef cattle industry, particularly Angus cattle.

In 1971, Mr Gubbins and his wife Mary imported two young sires and 58 females from Mary’s brother, Frank, to create Te Mania Angus.

The first-ever on-farm embryo transfer program was carried out at Te Mania Angus in 1980. It has been used every year since to accelerate genetic gain by multiplying the highest performing bloodlines.

Mr Gubbins, who died in May 2020, was a former chair of the Victorian Angus Progeny Test Program, a councillor on the Angus Society of Australia for eight years, and a former chair of the Technical Committee and World Forum Committee.

His previous awards and recognition include being made a life member of Angus Australia in 2013, receiving the Howard Yelland Beef Industry Award, from the Australian Beef Industry Foundation in 2008, and being named Seedstock Producer of the Year by the Beef Improvement Association in 2000. Marcus Oldham College also offers the $10,000 Te Mania scholarship each year for cattle breeding.

Gary Tomlins, of Wallington received an OAM for service to marine rescue organisations, and to the community. Mr Tomlins has been a volunteer at the Queenscliff Coast Guard since 1983. He presently serves as its training officer, and was previously its patrol officer and its coxswain.

At the state level, he has been the Victorian State Coast Guard Search and Rescue Controller since 2003, as well as a former vice-captain and training commodore of the Victorian Squadron. He was previously a volunteer with the Geelong Coast Guard from 1976-1983.

The late Gordon Dendle’s many years of service to the community of Leopold were recognised with an OAM.

Mr Dendle’s service to community organisations in Leopold since the 1960s is extensive, and includes holding office or representing organisations including Scouts Victoria Geelong Peninsula District, the 1st Leopold Scout Group, Leopold Community Hall, Lions Club of Leopold, Bellarine Gateway Anglicans, St Marks Anglican Church, Leopold Country Fire Authority, the Leopold Football Club (where he was a life member and the first player to achieve 200 games for the club in a record 224-game career between 1958 and 1972), Leopold Memorial Park, Leopold Cricket Club, Leopold Little Athletics Club and the Victorian branch of Simmental Australia.

His previous awards include the Shire of Bellarine’s Citizen of the Year in 1987, the Gavin O’Connor MHR Community Australia Day Award in 1996, and the A.J. Holding Memorial Community Service Award in 1995.

Barwon Heads resident Alistair Urquhart was presented with an OAM for his service to people with a disability through employment initiatives.

The founding chair of WISE Employment (also known as Workplace Integrated Supported Employment), Mr Urquhart has been a board member of the organisation since 1993.

His professional associations include managing director of Affairs of State Consultancy Firm since 1993, editor and publisher of Letter from Melbourne since 1994, a fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors since 1994, and a member of the Law Institute of Victoria from 1984 to 2015.