Gordon was born in Wauchope and came from a significant pioneering dynasty in the Hastings, “The Andrews family of Wauchope House”. His father Setpimus was on the staff at Wauchope Post office and married his mother Ninian Andrews, in 1930. Gordon had two brothers, Peter (dec) and Robert.
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With Sep’s work mostly on relief staff the family got to move quite often: from Wauchope to Collarenebri then back to Wauchope, on to Goulburn, Bombala and the Blue Mountains. Finally he had his own Post Office at Oberon.
Gordon attended boarding school at Hurlstone Agriculture College to complete his education. In the meantime, his parents moved on to Wallerawang and West Wallsend where Sep was medically retired, returning to Wauchope in 1953 until his death in 1959 from multiple sclerosis.
After leaving school he was trained by the PMG as a telegraphist -‘Morse Operator’. Gordon had a brief time at Oberon Post Office when his father was Postmaster there, later progressing through various roles, relieving Postmasters for annual leave and also as Inspector of unofficial post offices on the Mid North Coast.
Returning to Port Macquarie, he worked for thirty years as Second in Charge and Postmaster, finishing his working life as Postal Manager in Wauchope.
During his teens, twenties and later, Gordon was a very keen and competitive sportsman, a stand-out at tennis like his father. He played an important part in administration in many of the newly formed sporting and community clubs in Wauchope. Administrations, structure and interpersonal relationships were where he excelled.
Wauchope of the 50s, 60s and 70s was a period when many of the WW2 Veterans were responsible for building infrastructure and ‘getting things done’. Gordon witnessed this in his Uncle Joe Andrews, a returned POW, an enormous personality in the town, who among other things was Shire President for many years.
Gordon modelled his life’s service on people like Joe. And like Joe, if an activity was planned, he did the phone-around and always brought the ‘refreshments’. He was not a hands-on-the-tools person but for those who knew him, that was probably a good thing!
Gordon’s long list of involvement in community organisations and many awards include:
- Lions Club: International Award, Melvin Jones Fellow, 50 years Lions Club Charter and Life Member.
- Tennis Club: Life Member.
- Legacy: Director and Co-ordinator.
- Swimming Club: Charter Member and Judge.
- Rotary Club: Paul Harris Fellow.
- Apex Club: Charter Member.
- Holiday Coast Credit Union: Director.
- Justice of the Peace: 58 years.
- SES/Driver Reviver: Co-ordinator 25 years.
- Uniting Church: Appreciation Award for more than 40 years continuous service as Honorary Treasurer.
In addition, he provided bookkeeping and accounting advice to many groups including the Wauchope Show Society and Comboyne Bowling Clubs for many years.
Gordon’s legacy was ‘paying it forward’ to a new generation of an active young community and in recognition he received several Citizen of the Year awards and a Centenary Medal for Service. A very proud occasion in his life was receiving an OAM for Service to the Community.
Gordon was a great believer in ‘introductions’ and this unofficial network of contacts meant that he would often say things like… ‘just go down and see so and so and tell them Gordon sent you…’
For many, that was how they got a start in their working lives. His background with the Post Office meant that he knew everyone, their names, relatives, where they lived and how they fitted into the community. Before Google and Ancestry.com, there was Gordon.
Gordon leaves wife Elsa, Chris and Lyn, Sue and Carl Schmitzer, Melissa and Rick Paterson, seven grandchildren and four great grandchildren who miss him dearly.
A man for his community who leaves beautiful memories in our hearts.
