How The Award Started
In 2001 the Drysdale Rotary Club Community services portfolio was handed to Shane Coles.
The aim of Community Services is to get to know the local community, assist it where we can in local projects and acknowledge efforts of others. One of the projects Shane set up for this year was to put together an award to recognise those in the community who work for no money and no recognition.
Shane and his wife regularly walk along the cliff face overlooking the Clifton Springs boat ramp. He noticed one day that a quite impressive seat had been installed near that cliff face overlooking the bay area. On that seat he saw the name ADRIAN OAM had been engraved in the back rest area. After a few inquiries with neighbours he established that this seat had been installed for Adrian so he could look out at the Bellarine area, an area that he was so passionate about.
Shane had remembered meeting Adrian a number of times at the Portarlington Market and parting with many dollars in an effort to win one of the illusive cray fish on the Lions Club spinning wheel.
On the 24th of February, 2001 Adrian passed away. On the Monday night following, the Drysdale Rotary Club held a minutes silence and a brief resume of Adrian’s life and achievements was given by his lifelong friend Bernard Filbay. It was at this stage that Shane felt that Adrian E Mannix OAM would be the perfect choice for this award. After a few phone calls to some of Adrian’s lifelong friends and family the process of putting this award together began.
Together with Paul Jones of the Drysdale Lions Club and Lisa Neville of the then known SpringDale Community Cottage this award was developed with the strong emphasis on acknowledging real people doing real community work.
We are quite sure that Adrian would approve.