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2012 SETTLEMENT DAY DINNER
Members again maximised the capacity of the Feathers Hotel on 27th July, 2012 to attend our annual Settlement Day dinner. New president, Gil Daw, warmly welcomed our patrons, Bruce Williams, Olga Williams, Ivy Wooton, and life members, Dene and Dianne Cordes, Loris Henderson, Dean Florance, Jill Beaglehole and Neil Waller. He also welcomed our special family guests for the evening, Calnan descendants—Heather Vaughan and her daughter Andrea Jack, and Heather’s sister, Phyllis Duggan, also Douglas descendants, Arthur Mullins and his children, Iris Mullins, Noal Mullins and Peter Mullins, and Merv Fox and his son Wayne. Gil then spoke of the resurgent interest in history and how he felt the Association was at the forefront of having Kangaroo Island history accurately recorded. He also spoke of the other activities undertaken by the Association to ensure Kangaroo Island history is preserved. A brief synopsis of the Association’s activities over the past busy and exciting year was given and he thanked the members for their continuing support.
Settlement Day Dinner pictures by Rob Fairweather - Wild Dog Photographics
Faye Miller at the Dinner Maralyn Florance at the Dinner Maxine Bell at the Dinner Ken Bell at the Dinner
LIFE MEMBERSHIP AWARD TO PAST PRESIDENT—NEVILLE CORDES
Neville was awarded life membership for outstanding service and leadership of the Association. Neville was born and educated on Kangaroo Island. Over his lifetime, he has thrived on leadership roles, starting off with heading up the Kingscote Rural Youth. Neville was a counsellor for six years and then mayor for a further four years. He founded the still very active Advance Kingscote Association. He was captain coach of the Kingscote A grade tennis club and also captain coach of the Kingscote A grade football club.
On his honeymoon, Neville came across an idea and thought “I can do this” and with the support of his wife, Ros, thus began about a 30 year leadership role with “The Islander”. He viewed it as part of his leadership role in the community. Living on the Island, meant that he was unable to attend the early meetings of the Kangaroo Island Pioneers Association. On that matter, Neville said “they didn’t really need us then as Dene Cordes was doing such a wonderful job and he had really good leaders to help him, people like Bill Holmesby and Bruce Williams”. That did not mean that Neville did not have any association with the Kangaroo Island Pioneers Association (KIPA), because he assisted with the full-scale re-enactment at the 140th anniversary in 1976, involving many of the mainland KIPA members, and then again on the 150th anniversary in 1986, in which KIPA members from the mainland were again heavily involved.
When Neville and Ros moved to Adelaide, he said “they just naturally attended the meetings”. Those leadership aspirations and community service spirit meant that Neville was soon president of the KIPA and he retained that role for about 10 years until earlier this year. Many members felt that Neville’s finest hours came in last year’s settlement day celebrations, where he master of ceremonies at the unveiling of the two plaques at the pioneer cemetery, was guest speaker at the pioneer luncheon, and presided over and spoke eloquently at the settlement day dinner that evening.
Neville Cordes has been instrumental in raising the profile of the Association to where it is today and the Association congratulates him on his well-deserved life membership award.
Patron and Life-member Olga Williams presents immediate Past President, Neville Cordes with his Life Membership Certificate.
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