Artistic flair and initiative are key to greatness

FORTY years ago, as Geraldine Roberts and her family drove up the highway to start a new life in Ballarat, she cried all the way.

Asking her now how she feels, she replies with a chuckle “I think how lucky we are to live here.”

Over the decades Mrs Roberts has become a passionate and dedicated ambassador for Ballarat through her volunteer work at the Ballarat Botanical Gardens, Art Gallery of Ballarat and Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute.

Her ability to connect visitors and local people so all can enjoy the art, culture and history of the city is the quality Pat Lane, a volunteer guide committee member at the Gallery, acknowledged when she nominated Mrs Roberts for the Ballarat Zonta Club’s 2019 Honour Roll of Ballarat’s Great Women.

When Ms Lane recently became aware of Zonta and the Honour Roll, she immediately considered Mrs Roberts worthy of nomination.

She describes Mrs Roberts as a woman delightfully creative, who relates warmly to people making sure they feel involved.

“I think is a very special ability, Geraldine never blows her own trumpet, she sees what needs to be done and just gets on and does it and brings people along with her,” Ms Lane said.

Mrs Roberts, who volunteered at the Ballarat Botanical Gardens for 20 years said creating all the botanical illustrations for a book on the history of the gardens was her proudest achievement.

It was her artistic bent that drew her to the Art Gallery of Ballarat, where she has been a guide for 30 years.

She loves being involved in the guide’s mentor programs, intending to keep working in the program for as long as she can because, “The more you learn the more you need to learn.”

Mrs Roberts was also convenor of the membership committee for 20 years. When she took on the role the Gallery’s association membership numbered 765, when she stepped down it was 2000.

“The gallery stands very firmly nation-wide with a very healthy membership,” Mrs Roberts said.

Now she is devoting her energy to the Ballaarat Mechanics Institute.

In an endeavour to help put the venue back on the map in the community’s mind, she has been instrumental in forming and running the Friends of Minerva group to increase the awareness of the institute over the past five years.

BMI executive manager Tony Godfrey commends Mrs Roberts for her resourcefulness.

Just before Christmas one of the Institute’s Sturt Street frontage shops became vacant.

Mrs Roberts took it upon herself – in the interim after the tenant moved out – to create a pop-up vintage clothing store. She organised stock and worked it on her own initially, later getting other volunteers to assist.

“It has been enormously successful, it brings into the institute more money in the two days it is open than the weekly rent from the previous tenant,” said Mr Godfrey.

“This speaks to Geraldine’s initiative and commitment as well as her generosity of time and effort.”

Mrs Roberts was amazed at her nomination saying there are so many women who do volunteer work in the community.

“This nomination highlights other unspoken contributions by a lot of women throughout the community who just quietly work away doing the things that need to be done,” she said.

Mrs Roberts’ raison d’être is raising the awareness within the community of the opportunities and facilities in Ballarat.

“The locals become your front of house, they are the advocates who the more they talk about the city and its opportunities the wider the word spreads.

Each time I go to Melbourne now, when I get back, I think how it is so nice in Ballarat, everything is very accessible, we have lovely environs which I think we should strive hard to maintain and there is a lot of freedom, fresh air and a lot of nice people around.”