Lieutenant John Cowan is a Mernda local and belongs to the CFA District 14 headquarters. He spoke to Helena Abdou about his life in Mernda.
What’s your connection to Mernda?
I lived in Hurstbridge for 40 years and moved to Mernda building a new house eight years ago when one of my sons moved into the area. Another one of my four sons also lives nearby and we all share the cooking a couple of nights each a week. I first remember coming to Mernda in the early sixties with friends. We would play in the sheep yards while they had a beer in the Bridge Inn beer garden. Needless to say we always were in trouble for stinking the car out on the way back to Bulleen. Amazingly the yards are still there after all these years!
What do you like about where you live?
My late wife Ann and I designed and built a special house and feature garden which we both loved. It is in a quiet area with great neighbours. I also have a few friends from the area that I catch up with at the Bridge Inn on Friday night for a quiet beer.
What, if anything, would you change about where you live?
I would love to have more restaurants in the Mernda area. We really enjoy Indonesian, Indian, Thai, Japanese, Chinese or even Sri Lankan food. Unfortunately, where we are there are only pizza, fish and chip shops as well as pub food and as a result we need to travel to South Morang to dine out.
Where is your favourite local place to spend time?
I enjoy visiting some of the little parks scattered throughout the area as well as the Plenty Gorge. One day I would love to see the extension of the Granite Hills park into the Mernda West area well as the opening of the Melbourne Arboretum in Bridge Inn Road.
Tell us something people would be surprised to know about you…
I spent six years in the Army Reserve in the early eighties as a radio technician in a special forces signal squadron (126 Sig Sqn) at Watsonia and was a green beret airborne rappeler and radio theory instructor.
What are you currently reading and how are you enjoying it so far?
When I am not working, I enjoy reading historical fiction novels and have just finished reading about Helen of Troy and the Trojan war. I decided that I wanted to know a little more of the background to the Trojan wars stories and decided to read a translation of Homer’s epic poems The Iliad and The Odyssey.
What music do you enjoy and why?
I enjoy most music genres from classical including Hayden, Tchaikovsky and ‘classical’ movie theme music, Australian country and favourites from the old days Jimi Hendrix and the Rolling Stones! My late wife Ann and I used to especially love rock and roll dancing.
What’s the most meaningful award you’ve received and why?
The most meaningful award I have received was the Australian Fire Service Medal in the 2022 Queen’s Birthday honours for the work I was involved with as a volunteer in the CFA. It is very humbling to be considered, let alone receive such a prestigious award.
