VOLUNTEERING is bred into the Abbott family at Wagin with three generations helping out at this year’s Make Smoking History Wagin Woolorama.
An active community volunteer through the Lions Club of Wagin and as one of Wagin Shire’s bush fire brigade fire control officers, Geoff Abbott was bar manager for the whole event and has been for 30 years.
Before that he worked in the bars at Woolorama and before that, he helped out in the wool area.
“I can’t remember how I first became involved with Woolorama but I began as a wool steward and then head steward,” Geoff said.
Wife Wendy helps out with the official luncheon and previously helped organise the Woolorama trade fair for 10 years from the late 1980s.
Their daughter Jane Kilpatrick has run the information tent and sold rodeo tickets for the past three Wooloramas.
Jane’s husband Bryan is a member of the organising committee and head steward for the Young Judges competition which encourages young people to become involved in showing and judging sheep.
Their children Hugh, 13 and Edwina, 11, helped promote their schools – Christ Church Grammar School and Methodist Ladies College, where Edwina is in her first year – in the education pavilion.
They also helped their parents and grandparents with their roles when they could.
Edwina said she just followed the example set by her parents and grandparents.
Asked what made them volunteer each year, Geoff said he believed it was simply the “community spirit” at Wagin.
“There’s been many people over the years that have worked hard for the community on a voluntary basis,” he said.
“The Lions Club do the bars... it’s one of our big projects for the year.
“Woolorama is what makes Wagin stand out – it’s made Wagin really.”
And, as Wendy volunteered, it was volunteers that made Woolorama “happen”.
“I don’t think it could happen without the (volunteering) spirit within the community,” she said.
