Fond farewell for Legerwood pair
Graeme and Cindy Walsh are saying farewell to Legerwood this week; pictured with John Dennis, Helen Adam, Lyn Behrens and Ken Burr.
After nearly 50 years on a Legerwood volunteer committee, Cindy and Graeme Walsh have stepped aside as they start writing a new chapter in their lives.
The couple are relocating to Launceston this week to be closer to Cindy’s elderly mum at Sandhill. But they will not be strangers to the community they have always loved.
A farewell and thankyou event was held for the couple at The Old Legerwood Store on Saturday, a fitting location for the send-off given it was where Cindy first started her involvement with the Legerwood Hall and Reserves Committee.
“It was a beautiful morning tea – very nice and not expected,” Mrs Walsh said.
“I came down here to the Legerwood shop when I was 18 and Hector Rose was the proprietor of shop and the local JP and he asked me if I’d like to join the Hall Committee and the rest is history.
“Graeme was on the Recreation Ground Committee before that because his granddad and dad helped create the reserve.
“Overtime we became the Legerwood Hall and Reserves Committee which took in the tennis club, the water board which looked after the local scheme and town water supply, the progress association and the recreation ground committee.
“It is a wonderful committee. Everyone volunteers to mow the lawns and keep it neat and tidy and help out in the carriage which is the Visitor Information Centre with souvenirs including wood turnings from the memorial trees. We kept some of the wood when we did the trees and we are down to the last of it now. It makes some money for the upkeep of the carvings and the park.”
Cindy and Graeme are stepping away from the committee, which is led by President Ken Burr, Vice President John Dennis, Treasurer Helen Adams and Lyn Behrens the new publicity officer.
“I’m really pleased new people have moved into the area with enthusiasm and have come on board to look after the park so I feel like I am leaving it in really good hands,” Cindy said.
The Walsh’s settled their house sale on Tuesday and Cindy had her last day at work for Dorset Council on Monday, finishing after 19 years as a cleaner.
“I have loved it,” she said.
“I started off doing Legerwood Hall and toilets and expanded into Branxholm and Ringarooma three days a week. A lot of people don’t want to do it. But people on holidays are happy and friendly and you get thanked about 20 times a day.
“The toilets aren’t too bad, it’s the BBQs that are disgusting!”
The couple is looking back on their time in the town with fond memories.
She grew up in Pyengana and moved to live with Graeme when they were married on February 4, 1978.
“Graeme lived here all his life. I moved over from Pyengana with my little glory box and I have been here ever since.
“Graeme’s great great grandfather was James Scott who surveyed the Scottsdale area. “His great grandfather Robert Scott had the property Woodlands Estate and they divided off some blocks including the old school block which is where Graeme got Chris Riggall to build our house.
“It’s a wonderful community to be involved in and always has been,” she said.
The couple raised four children in the town - Melissa (who now lives in Grindelwald), Annette
(who lives in WA), Carolynn Evans is still farming the original property as the fifth generation with North Eastern Beef Shorthorns, and son Kenneth who has Wonder Valley property at the top end of Barnbougle.
Graeme still helps on the farm.
“We will definitely be back. We love all the people here and have so many amazing friends here,” she said.
“Graeme’s mum Helen Walsh who is known as Nell is 95 and is in Northbourne so we will be back visiting her as well as the kids and grandchildren.”