FCA Committee

March 2024

We welcome our new office bearers and committee and thank most sincerely those retiring members of our hard working committee.

Maxine Wright – nee Cooper – (President)

President since March 2024

Vice President since February 2023

Committee member since 2021

Maxine retired after a career of more than 40 years in social research, community development and planning, working in a range of organisations in both the private and public sectors.

She has particular experience in community infrastructure planning, housing, health and aged care. Maxine was a sessional member of Planning Panels Victoria for more than ten years and is a Fellow of the Victorian Planning and Environmental Law Association.

During her working life Maxine considered the social implications of planning and development decisions. And it is for this reason Maxine has joined the FCA to ensure that any proposed development contributes, rather than impacts negatively, on the social fabric of Flinders and its strong sense of community.

Chris Jaeger (Vice President)

Vice President since March 2024

Committee member since 2023

Chris has over 40 years business experience, 30 of which have been as a CEO and company director of several technology companies. He has worked in the telecommunications, media and defence communications industries.

Chris has been part of the Flinders community for 25 years, is a founder of the FIBers swim group swimming all year round at 7.30am from the pier, active with the Flinders CFA and a member of the Flinders Golf Club and the Flinders Yacht Club

Melissa Smith (Secretary)

Committee Member Since 2020

Secretary since 2021

Melissa is the owner of a small agency business and worked full time for the past 35 years. She has often volunteered and been involved with community & fundraising committees. “I have been in Flinders part time for more than 30 years. It is a beautiful place and we are so lucky with beaches & countryside at our door steps. We have a wonderful friendly community and hope it remains so.”

Naomi Murray (Treasurer)

Committee member since 2023

Naomi(and her husband Simon)purchased their ‘other’ home in Flinders in 2012, they found that returning to Melbourne each week to ‘work’ was always such a drag!

After Simon’s retirement, Naomi moved her legal practice into the ‘cloud’. This proved to be a wise decision with the onslaught of COVID and since February 2020, they have lived full time in Flinders with their two Border Collie companions.

Now that Naomi has retired from the law she has the time and the energy to devote to the Flinders community in which they live.

Jo Monie

President since February 2018 – retired as president February 2023
Vice President 2017-2018
Committee member since 2012

Jo is a retired manager and librarian. Following her parents’ footsteps, she has been a part-time then full-time Flinders resident for 24 years.

“My initial interest was in preserving the historical aspects of the village. I have since become involved in planning matters, and the need to safeguard the beauty and amenity of the village we love”.

Jo has served on the Committee of the Flinders District Historical Society for 12 years, including 7 years as President, and is also a member of Flinders Probus. Recent projects have included the signage in the Flinders Park, along Cook Street and the pier precinct; and the recent publication Christie: the wartime recollections of Christopher James “Christie” Johnstone.

Mark Aarons

Committee Member since February 2019

Mark is a long-time resident who shifted with his wife Liz and 2 young sons to a property on the outskirts of Flinders in 1987. Alongside his business partner, Mark established and operated a wholesale nursery through until 2005.

“We chose Flinders for its beauty, quiet rural atmosphere and regional, relatively unspoiled environment. My wife and I now live in the township and still appreciate and enjoy those aspects of the area. I am keen to work to preserve the local environment particularly the natural one through groups like the FCA, Friends of Flinders coastline and Flinders CFA.”

Dr. Neil Hallam

Former Vice President 2019-2021
Former President 2000-2007 and 2017-2018
Committee Member 1997-2007, then 2013 onwards

Neil is a semi-retired Associate Professor of Botany at Monash University and sits on several Mornington Peninsula committees contributing expertise in the fields of environment and biology. He also lectured at The Chisholm Institute, Rosebud for 13 years.

“I have lived in Flinders for 40 years in the rural area fronting Main Creek. While I have had a long-term interest in the progress of the Flinders Village, I am equally interested in the rural and agricultural aspects of our community. This has become more important as threats to the Green Wedge begin to surface.”

Euan Luff

Committee member since 2022

Euan and his wife have owned property in Flinders for over 40 years. They had had a farm in Musk Creek Rd for a few years then sold it and moved into the Flinders town. For the last two and a half years they have spent most of their time here in this unique village and have been members of the Flinders Community Association, and prior to that, the Flinders Ratepayers Association. Euan practised Commercial Law for over 45 years, which involved some town planning cases, among other things. He looks forward to making a contribution as committee member of the Flinders Community association.

Bridget Beattie

Committee member since November 2023

Anna Bonato

Committee Member since November 2023

Joel Collins

Committee Member since March 2024

Cathy Trahair

Committee Member since March 2024

RETIRING COMMITTEE MEMBERS

The FCA would like to acknowledge the contribution and community participation of retiring Committee Members. Our most recent members to retire from the Committee include:

2024 Retiring Committee Members

Neville Wale

Retired from Committee March 2024

Vice President since February 2021
Committee member since 2004

Neville is a retired Town Planner with over 50 years’ experience in strategic, environmental and heritage planning in government and private practice. He has served as a sessional member of Planning Panels Victoria; is a former member of the Heritage Council of Victoria; and Honorary Life Member of the National Trust (Victoria). “I believe that change can be accommodated in Flinders while at the same time maintaining and protecting the valued character and amenity of its neighbourhoods.”

Neville is President of the Flinders District Historical Society. He is also a Past President of the FCA and Flinders Probus Club. Neville holds qualifications in Town and Regional Planning; Heritage Planning and Conservation management; and is a Fellow of Planning Institute Australia. Neville was also involved in the preparation of the Flinders Character Design Guidelines in 1999.

Mary Iles

Retired as President March 2024

President since February 2023

Committee member since 2021

Mary retired after a career of 40 plus years in the textile industry in a senior marketing and sales capacity. She and her husband have lived in Flinders for over 30 years and came to enjoy their little boat and sail on Westernport. Her interest in all local activities have enthused her to join the FCA and to contribute to the community in whatever way she can, particularly IT and social media activities.

Chris Reis

Treasurer commencing 2023.

Chris and her husband Charles have been weekenders here in Flinders since 2005 – becoming FCA members soon after. As a family, they enjoy the Flinders Village charm – where the country meets the sea; making it the best of both worlds. She is looking forward to working with the committee and making a contribution. Chris was born in Christchurch, New Zealand travelling to Melbourne on a one way ticket in 1980 and very quickly made Melbourne her home. Chris has an Advertising Agency background, planning and buying media for large banking and consumer clients. She later went on to study as a librarian.

Judith (Judy) Tillyard

Committee member since February, 2021

Judy moved to Flinders with her husband in 2017 after spending the last 39 years running a small farm in Balnarring. Whilst in Balnarring she was involved with the Landscape Protection Society during the time of the amalgamation of the three shires into the Mornington Peninsula Shire. The Society worked to have the Council list the planning applications online and to also obtain aerial photographs of the Peninsula.

After making Flinders her permanent home, Judy became involved cataloguing for the Flinders District Historical Society as she wished to learn more about the Flinders District and has now become a member of the FDHS committee.

“I am very interested in maintaining the village atmosphere and ambience of Flinders which was the main reason for our move to this area.”

Susan Grant

Treasurer since February 2017
Committee Member since 2016

Charles Reis

Chair of the Save Flinders Pier Committee from 2021

Committee Member 2021 onwards

Committee Member 2015-2020

Ashley (Ash) Fraser

Committee member since 2020

Jan Moffat

Committee Member since 2020

2021 Retiring Committee Members

Mark Holland
Committee member 2004 to August 2021

2020 Retiring Committee Members

Suzanne (Sue) Wilson
Former Secretary from February 2018 to February 2020 and Committee Member February 2017 to February 2020

Alan Krisner
Committee member February 2019 to February 2020

2019 Retiring Committee Members

Jan Aitcheson
Committee member February 2017 to February 2019

Bill Richardson
Committee member February 2018 to February 2019

2018 Retiring Committee Members

Graham Lewis
Former Secretary from 2016 to 2018, Membership Secretary from 2009 to 2018,Committee Member 2002 to February 2018

Ronald Macdonald
Former Vice president from 2014 to 2017, Committee member 2007 to February 2018

Pamela Commons
Former Events Coordinator from 2010 to 2018, Committee member 2010 to February 2018

Claire Thorn
Committee Member from February 2016 to February 2018

Annie Austin
Committee Member from February 2017 to February 2018

David Gibbs
Committee Member from February 2017 to February 2018