This Australia Day, Beryl Fenwick will be at Club Taree at 7am for the breakfast and at 9am for the official ceremony. She will be joined for lunch that day by her son and daughter-in-law, and she will have news for them – the initials OAM have been added to her name.
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For her work in the Anglican Church and associated organisations in the Manning Valley, Beryl has been awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the 2019 Australia Day Honours list.
“When I received the notification, I was absolutely stunned. I couldn’t believe this was real,” she said.
“Then a received the letter asking if I would accept the award, and I realised I do have to accept, because a group of people – I don't know who they are – are paying me this honour.
“It blows me away. It was most unexpected.”
Beryl says she doesn’t think she has done anything special. “I like to be able to share my skills. What I have to offer is there for the giving – and I have received great pleasure from that.”
Currently Beryl volunteers at the Taree Anglican Church’s Blue Cross Op Shop and each Wednesday, she volunteers at the Samaritans Foundation’s emergency relief centre. The foundation receives government funding to provide food for people in need.
She has served as the rector’s warden at St John’s Anglican Church for the past 10 years, for Father Peter Tinney and before him, Father Keith Dean-Jones. And she is the secretary of the parish council, a role she has held for more than 30 years.
When the Bishop of Newcastle decided the Manning needed an Anglican school, Beryl was on the steering committee in 1998-99 that saw the building of Manning Valley Anglican College which opened in 2003. She continued on the school board up until 2012.
Before that Beryl was business manager at Storm Retirement Village at Taree from 1989 when it first opened, until her retirement in 2000.
Those business management skills are still being put to good use in her role at treasurer of the Taree Ministers Association and the Manning Anglican Christian Education group which provides SRE (school religious education) in Chatham and Taree high schools.
And she has taught scripture at Cundletown Public School when her children were young.
Beryl was born and educated at Guya on the Tablelands.
Beryl is what she terms a “cradle Anglican”. At a very young age her mother’s cousin’ daughter took her to Sunday School.
She came to Taree when her husband took the position of plant mechanic with Manning Shire Council in 1965. He had previously help that position at Stroud Shire Council (which later became Great Lakes Shire Council).
It blows me away. It was most unexpected.
- Beryl Fenwick OAM
They have three children. Their daughter is a trained speech pathologist who is now retired and an artist in Adelaide. Their eldest son lives in Sydney and works in IT and the youngest is a registered surveyor living in East Maitland.
Beryl was involved with the Anglican Church in Guya, Stroud and when she moved to Taree. Another couple she met in the Stroud church had also moved to Taree so Beryl found it easy to get caught up again with church activities.
Beryl has always had a keen interest in the garden, up until this season, that is, where the elements have defeated her. Gardening is one way this 83-year-old keeps fit.
She also enjoys travelling. A three month tour of the United Kingdom and Europe are a highlight and on a recent trip to the Murray River and a tour on the paddle steamer, she enjoyed “totally different country, a totally different experience”.
Later this year she will board the Ghan for the trip from Darwin to Adelaide and is looking forward to the day trips along the way.
Beryl joins Harvey Else, Trevor Leggott, Narelle Clapson, Don Secomb and Andrew Sheriff as Manning and Great Lakes recipients of the OAM.