Jason Ronald has been acknowledged for his service to the community through a range of social welfare, cultural, political and agricultural organisation including involvement with the Pakenham Show.
By Elizabeth Lillis
JASON Ronald, a lifetime contributor to the Pakenham and District Agricultural and Horticultural Society, has been awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM).
Mr Ronald received the honour for service to the community through a range of social welfare, cultural, political and agricultural organisations.
He said he had been receiving congratulatory messages by phone, text and email since the announcement on Australia Day.
“It is a great honour,” he said.
Mr Ronald said he enjoyed working with people and getting involved in the community – something he acknowledged as getting harder for people as life seemed to get busier.
He said the leadership of his family, particularly his father Peter Ronald and grandmother Violet Lambert, had influenced his involvement in the community.
Visiting the Pakenham Racecourse this week, Mr Ronald said the place held many memories of his involvement with the Pakenham Show Society community.
He first competed as a child in the ridden Shetland classes and went on to have various roles with the show society, including as a committee member since 1983 and president from 1998 to 2000.
Mr Ronald has been arena director and chair of the horse committee since 1981.
Mr Ronald said he followed his brother Bill by getting involved at the show life.
“I particularly want to mention the work of other members over the years such as Arthur Telford, David and Gavan Bourke and Ian Thomas,” he said.
“They have done great work and kept the show going as the Pakenham area has become more urban in recent years.”
Mr Ronald said he, and the rest of the committee, was looking forward to the show this year on 17 March.
He has also had a strong involvement with the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria as a councillor since 1991 and is now a member of the horse committee.
Apart from involvement in the agricultural show sector, Mr Ronald has been involved with social welfare and political organisations.
He became director of the Glengollan Village for Aged People in Ferntree Gully in 1975.
“I took up the position at 20 from my grandmother Violet. I’ve been president for the past five years,” he said. “It was one of the very first retirement villages and it has grown to having 200 residents and 100 staff. It is operated so that the money paid goes back into the facilities.”
Mr Ronald has been involved in local politics.
He was former president of the Pakenham and the Gembrook Cockatoo branches of the Liberal Party.
“I was involved when the Honourable Robert Maclellan was the local member,” he said. “I particularly remember working with Kate Bastow, who was his marvellously organised electorate officer.”
Mr Ronald is also a patron of the arts, supporting the Australian Ballet, Melbourne Theatre Company and the Melbourne International Arts Festival.
“I think me receiving the OAM is nice for my mother Heather, as both my father and grandmother Violet received the honour,” he said.
Mr Ronald said he felt it was good for his mother to see the involvement with community spread through the generations.
He encourages others to get involved with the community and also encouraged people to consider nominating unsung heroes in the community.
“There would be many more people who have done more than enough to earn this national honour,” he said.
