FIFTY years of service to the New Norfolk District Hospital Auxiliary only scratches the surface of Doris McNeill’s contributions to her adopted home of 70 years. For this great personal effort, she he has been named this month’s recipient of the Derwent Valley Community Achiever Award.
Mrs McNeill, 95, got a taste for community work knitting socks and scarves for soldiers as a schoolgirl during World War II. Some made it as far as Tobruk and letters were received from the grateful soldiers there, who were known as the Rats of Tobruk. She grew up and married at Triabunna but moved to New Norfolk with her late husband Douglas in 1953.
As a young mum, Mrs McNeill did a lot of work for local schools and St Matthew’s Anglican Church and was involved in the running of many fairs. She was also a stalwart of the Soroptimist Club and its local Meals on Wheels service, as well as being a member of the New Norfolk Red Cross. She also worked with Kosovar refugees living at the Safe Haven at Brighton.
The Derwent Valley Community Achiever Award is an initiative of Banjo’s Bakery Cafe and New Norfolk and Derwent Valley News to recognise the quiet achievers who make our community great. The monthly winners are featured in the newspaper and online, and they receive a certificate, a Banjo’s voucher and a 12-month subscription to New Norfolk and Derwent Valley News.
Nominate a local hero today by emailing letters@newnorfolknews.com, send a note to New Norfolk and Derwent Valley News, 4 Richmond St, New Norfolk, or call 0417 387 577. There’s no paperwork to complete. All it takes is someone to let us know the basic details and we’ll take it from there. Previous recipients of the award have been Tim Size, the Tidy Towns Committee, Pauline Ackerly, Matt Hill, Myfanwy Lawless, Michael Hanson, Carol Volant, Neville Fenton, joint recipients Jannie Fahey and Allacia Ford, Stefan Frazik, Celia Hooker, John Crowle, the Derwent Valley Youth Future Action Team (D’FAT), Jett Benson, Margaret McMaster, George Springer, Annie McKenzie, Josh Walsh, Janet and Richard Onn and Steve Foley.
The latest issue of New Norfolk and Derwent Valley News is the 63rd print edition since the launch in July 2020, and it contains about 40 news items for the cover price of $2. Up front there’s a great photo of Tony Bailey of Hamilton checking out the piers of the old 1857 Dunrobin Bridge which are visible while Lake Meadowbank is six metres below its usual level for the works being carried out on the dam’s spillway gates. Inside, we have lots more good news all about the Valley and Highlands. As always there are two puzzle pages, a two-page TV guide, your Letters to the Editor and much more.
Derwent Valley outlets for the paper include the New Norfolk Newsagency, New Norfolk Foodmarket, Eagle Snack Bar, New Norfolk IGA, Mood Food New Norfolk, Blair St Shop, Bronte Park Store, Bushy Park Roadhouse, Westerway Roadhouse, Fika Time Cafe Maydena, Ellendale Post Office, Hamilton Post Office, Ouse Post Office, Ouse IGA, and the Bothwell Supermarket. Other sellers include the Lagoon Store, Granton; Claremont Newsagency; Kingston Nextra; Glenorchy Central News; Moonah News; New Town Plaza; Lenah Valley Newsagency, Elizabeth Mall News and Salamanca News. You can also look out for our paper sellers at the New Norfolk Market.
Readers in any part of Tasmania can ask their preferred newsagency to order them a copy via the Mercury as the distribution agent. New Norfolk residents can ask the New Norfolk Newsagency to organise for a paper seller to visit within the town boundaries. More distant readers might prefer to download a copy from newnorfolknews.com.
The ongoing support of readers and advertisers is greatly appreciated. Feedback on the paper is invited by emailing damian@newnorfolknews.com
