Humble heroes: Barwon Heads couple awarded OAMs

HUSBAND and wife team Christine and John “Tony” Wheal have both been honoured today (Sunday, January 26) with a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM), for their service to their hometown of Barwon Heads.

The award is recognition for their decades of active volunteerism that includes postings at the All Saints Opportunity Shop in Hitchcock Avenue, the Ocean Grove Barwon Heads RSL Sub-branch, the Geelong Aero Club and for Tony, a non-operational position with the Barwon Heads Fire Brigade.

For the couple, who has lived in Barwon Heads for 27 years, the award has provided them with a newfound sense of belonging.

“There’s a saying around town that you’re not locals for, most people say 25 years, but the really old ones say you’ve got to be here 40 years, but the award is recognition that maybe we are locals,” Tony said.

“It makes you appreciate that people see what you do. Neither of us blow our own trumpets…somebody else has done that for us, and we appreciate it very much,” Christine added.

The extent of this humility became clear when, speaking with this publication, Christine revealed the couple had not yet informed their children that they were recipients of the significant accolade.

Some of the couple’s most rewarding experiences have come from their time with the local RSL, where their focus has been on providing welfare support and funding to veterans in need.

“The highlight’s just seeing someone smile sometimes after you’ve helped…it’s just being able to make people’s life better,” Christine said.

“A lot of these people have got nobody that comes to see them. Anything they need, we’ll try to help them achieve it.”

Privately, the couple has also been supporting a local family of Tamil refugees for about 12 years, helping to teach them English, cover their living expenses while they battled visa limbo and providing a sense of community.

The family refer to the Wheal’s as mum and dad.

Despite their years of dedicated service to their local community, neither Christine nor Tony has any intention of stopping.

“I have no plans to alter what I do…it keeps you happy, keeps you well,” Christine said.

“You’re out there, you’re having good conversations with people, and if they’re sad, you’re there to put an arm around them. I just can’t imagine life any other way.”

Among the other local Honours and Awards recipients this year are Ocean Grove residents Dr Ross Cutler and Professor David Runia, who have both been appointed as Members of the Order of Australia (AM).

For Dr Cutler, this appointment acknowledges his significant service to veterinary medicine and to the pork industry, while Professor Runia’s recognises his considerable service to tertiary education and as an academic in the humanity and social science fields.

St Leonard’s Pauline Cline was also awarded an OAM for her service to the Bellarine community, while Drysdale resident Anthony Hodder was awarded an Emergency Services Medal for his distinguished service as a member of Australia’s emergency services.

Anyone can nominate any Australian for an award in the Order of Australia. If you know someone worthy, nominate them now at gg.gov.au