EMBARGOED UNTIL DELIVERY CHEX'AGAINST-DEL-IVERY
OPENING-OF-THE-GORDON--PERLS-TEINPAVILION-___
WEST COBURG 14 FEBRUARY 1987
MR MAYOR, COUNCILLORS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
HAVING KNOWN GORDON PERLSTEIN FOR SOME TIME, I WAS DELIGHTED
TO RECEIVE YOUR INVITATION TO OPEN THIS PAVILION NAMED IN
HIS HONOUR.
BEFORE I DECLARE THE PAVILION OPEN I WANT TO ELABORATE A
LITTLE ON GORDON'S BACKGROUND, BECAUSE HIS CONTRIBUTION TO
THIS CITY, STATE AND INDEED NATION DATES BACK MANY YEARS.
GORDON JOINED THE VICTORIAN-RAILWAYS-IN-1941 AT THE AGEOF
14 AS A LABOURER AND WAS APPRENTICED AS A FITTER AND TURNER
IN 1942. HE MUST HAVE BEEN GOOD AT IT BECAUSE HE BECAME THE
YOUNGEST APPOINTED SUPERVISOR IN THE ROLLING STOCK
DIVISION OF THE VICTORIAN RAILWAYS AT THE AGE OF
OVER THE NEXT 40 YEARS GORDON WORKED IN EVERY COUNTRY
DEPOT OF VICTORIAN RAILWAYS, FINISHING HIS DISTINGUISHED
SERVICE AS AN INSPECTOR OF LOCOMOTIVE MAINTENANCE, THE
SECOND TOP RANK IN THE SERVICE.
GORDON ALSO GOT INVOLVED IN UNION WORK AT AN EARLY AGE AND
HE BECAME MINUTE SECRETARY OF THE THEN AMALGAMATED
ENGINEERING UNION AT
HE WENT ON TO BECOME A STATE COUNCILLOR, A VICE
PRESIDENT AND THEN PRESIDENT OF THE VICTORIAN DIVISION
OF THE AUSTRALIAN TRANSPORT OFFICERS FEDERATION. THIS
SWAS FOLLOWED BY ATERM AS NATIONAL COUNCILLOR AND
NATIONAL PRESIDENT FROM 1983 TO 1985.
THANKS TO THIS LIFETIME OF SERVICE TO THE UNION MOVEMENT,
GORDON WAS AWARDED THE ORDER OF AUSTRALIA MEDAL IN 1985.
IN ADDITION TO ALL THIS, GORDON HAS BEEN KEENLY INVOLVED
WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF-THE-CITY OF-COBURG...
TH-I-S-WA-S-A-LIETIME" S--I-NTEREST,---I-CH-HE---APP-E-D--OF-F-IN-
1980 WITH HIS ELECTION TO COUNCIL. SINCE THEN HE HAS
SERVED ON MANY OF ITS COMMITTEES AND IS OF COURSE
-CURRENTLY MAYOR-OF-THE CITY--OF COBURG.-
WITH A CAREER LIKE THAT, IT IS A WONDER GORDON HAD ANY TIME
FOR SPORT, BUT HE WAS INVOLVED IN ROWING FOR A NUMBER OF
YEARS, BOTH AS AN OARSMAN AND IN AN ADMINISTRATIVE CAPACITY
AT THE YARRA YARRA CLUB.
AS FOR SHORE RESERVE, HOME OF WEST COBURG FOOTBALL CLUB, I
KNOW IT HAS NOT ONLY BEEN THE-BASE-OF A LONG LINE OF
PREMIERSHIP WINNERS AT BOTH JUNIOR AND SENIOR LEVELS, BUT
HAS ALSO PRODUCED A NUMBER OF LEAGUE PLAYERS, MAINLY FOR
NORTH MELBOURNE, ESSENDON AND CARLTON.
A RECENT CHANGE AT THE GROUND HAS SEEN THE CONSTRUCTION OF A
CONCRETE CRICKET PITCH, WHICH HAS ALLOWED JUNIOR CRICKET TO
BE PLAYED HERE WITH ALMOST AS MUCH SUCCESS AS THE FOOTBALL
CLUB. IT IS GOOD TO NOTE THE SPIRIT OF CO-OPERATION BETWEEN BOTH
THE FOOTBALL AND CRICKET CLUBS, WHICH HAVE WORKED TO
ESTABLISH THE NEW PAVILION AND WILL SHARE ITS FACILITIES.
THE GORDON PERLSTEIN PAVILION WAS BUILT AT A COST OF
$ 186,000, OF WHICH THE COUNCIL CONTRIBUTED $ 160,000. WITH
THE REST BEING PROVIDED BY THE WEST COBURG FOOTBALL CLUB.
A PAVILION SUCH AS THIS DOES NOT SPRING UP OVERNIGHT, AND
WHAT WE SEE BEFORE US TODAY IS THE RESULT OF A LOT OF HARD
WORK BY MANY PEOPLE.
3
S IN PARTICULAR, CONGRATULATIONS MUST GO TO THE PRESIDENT
OF THE FOOTBALL CLUB, GERRY CUDMORE, AND TO HIS
HARDWORKING COMMITTEE.
S SPECIAL RECOGNITION MUST ALSO GO TO RON CASSELLS WHO
THIS YEAR IS CELEBRATING 50 YEARS SERVICE TO AND SUPPORT
OF THE WEST COBURG FOOTBALL CLUB AN OUTSTANDING
RECORD---
-THIS-IS A FINE-PAVILION THAT-WILL SERVE-THE-CLUBS-AND-LOCAL--
SPORTINGPEOPLE_ OF THE_-CITY OF COBURG AND THE SURROUNDING
AREA FOR MANY YEARS TO COME.
I COMMEND THE COUNCIL AND THE CLUB'S INITIATIVE IN
CONSTRUCTING IT. IN NAMING IT AFTER GORDON PERLSTEIN YOU
HAVE RECOGNISED A CONTRIBUTION TO THIS CITY AND BEYOND WHICH
HAS BEEN SO GREAT OVER MANY YEARS.
IT NOW GIVES ME GREAT PLEASURE TO OFFICIALLY DECLARE
OPEN THE GORDON PERLSTEIN PAVILION.