Craigieburn Basketball Association life member and past president Kerry Monro chats with Zoe Moffatt about his connection with the community and time spent in Hume.
Tell us a bit about yourself and what you do?
I was the eldest of three children born in Echuca and grew up in the Gunbower Island State Forest on the bank of the Murray River. No electricity or other “essential” services were available, just a wood stove and a rainwater tank. Life was hard but we loved every moment.
I love going bush and camping and to return to that type of simple no stress living. I went to the Gunbower Island primary school, one room and one teacher for everyone and then Echuca Technical school via two busses. After my father suddenly died when I was thirteen, we struggled to survive for two years until my mother was able to get a widow’s pension and we moved into a housing commission home in Echuca.
I started an electrical apprenticeship in Echuca but when the business was sold, I had to move to Melbourne to continue my apprenticeship. I stayed in the electrical industry for 47 years with the last 20 years as a condition monitoring technician which included ultrasonic and thermal imaging testing, inspection and reporting on all types of high voltage electrical equipment around Australia.
What’s your connection to Hume?
Craigieburn has been home for over 40 years. Our two children attended primary and secondary schools here. Our daughter went to Craigieburn dancing school for many years before attending Melbourne Uni. Our son started playing junior basketball at Craigieburn in 1989 and went on to play through all junior age groups including two trips to mid-west USA.
I have been continuously involved in Craigieburn basketball since 1989 in almost every aspect of a basketball association, committee, treasurer, BV appointed administrator, coach of many teams, team manager, BigV score table for over thirty years, mentor/advisor to management committees and current chairperson of BV Craigieburn Tribunal panel.
I was awarded life membership of Craigieburn Basketball Association in 2003. My wife, Wendy has recently retired from 33 years teaching at Craigieburn Primary School. We were both coaches for a recent BDS group basketball clinics at Craigieburn for the duration of the program.
What do you like about where you live?
When we moved to Craigieburn we had two basketball courts, then three and many years later five. Now hopefully sometime this year we will have eight. Watching the growth of junior sports in Craigieburn over 40 years has been wonderful, there is now an opportunity for almost every child to participate in some form of sport or activity.
What, if anything, would you change about where you live?
More native bushland areas with walking and cycling tracks for everyone to enjoy and explore. Everyone now more than ever needs a place where they can connect with nature to fully appreciate how necessary and vital it is to our own and the planet’s survival.
Significantly more parking around the train station is essential with the continued growth of Craigieburn.
Where is your favourite local place to spend time?
Walking around Woodlands Park with my cameras looking for something new and trying to photograph as many bird species as possible. Having family birthdays at Woodlands Park with all the family and grandchildren, they also love exploring the park.
Tell us something people would be surprised to know about you?
I competed in and won numerous state and national angling events and titles in the 1980’s. I was the Melbourne Camera Club Black and White printmakers group coordinator for eight years and still work in my own darkroom. I have had several images published in the now defunct Austrian Trierenberg Super Circuit world-wide photo competition.
