A LOCAL HONOUR FOR PETER WHITE, OAM

Breakers and Terrigal Wamberal RSL

Sub-Branch member Peter White has been awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM), announced in the 2023 Australia Day Honours List. The award is in recognition of his service to veterans and the community.

Peter, a Breakers Country Club member since the early 1990’s, graduated from the Royal Military College, Duntroon, in 1967 and served with distinction for 27 years. During his military career, he was posted to various locations in Australia and overseas, including Vietnam in 1970/71. He retired from full-time military service in 1991, achieving the rank of colonel.

After discharge, he commenced a remarkable 30-year engagement in community service.

Peter’s illustrious career, saw him join the Rural Fire Service in 1989 – to which he was a member for 25 years and was awarded a Life Membership in recognition of his service - when he first moved to the Central Coast, which he saw as the perfect opportunity to become involved in his local community. In 1994 he became a crew leader and has vivid memories of the Eastern Seaboard fires.

“I remember being deployed at 5am on the Saturday and we worked up at Somersby, and old Sydney Town until we were ordered to move back to Park because a fire storm was predicted on the mountain. That caused a lot of anger as people at Mt White felt they had been deserted. We were redeployed to Patonga in the afternoon and while there one of our crews heard that Matcham had been told to evacuate. So, we got permission to return to our homes to help our families. Fortunately, things had been misreported and we were later deployed again to Mt White where eventually we were replaced at 9 o’clock that night. I will always remember our call out lady, Gloria Kennedy, who never left her phone for the whole 2 weeks that the emergency lasted. I doubt she even slept!”

In 2000, Peter came down to the RSL for some help and ended up as a Pension Officer and eventually, President. During that time, the Club held the 100th Anniversary of ANZAC service, Peter fondly remembers this service as a memorable moment that cemented the Terrigal Dawn Service as an important community event. During that time, they also undertook the massive task of moving the Erina War Memorial. Peter acknowledges that the successful completion of this task would not have been possible without the support of numerous individuals and groups, including the grants they received, the construction support they received, and particularly the efforts of Michael Tabone, who served as the Project Officer.

Peter’s involvement with the Australian Army began in 2003 when he was invited to take on the Honorary position of Colonel Commandant for NSW for the Royal Australian Corps of Transport, which is similar to that of a Patron. From 2007 to 2010, he was appointed as the Representative Colonel Commandant for all of Australia.

Peter was with his wife and daughter when he opened the letter of offer for the OAM. He says, “It was nice to share that moment with them. It’s a funny experience. You feel proud and a bit overwhelmed, but at that stage it’s a secret and anyway it’s not for you to tell everyone. It’s just nice to think that so many people have taken the time to recognise what you have done. I’m grateful for all the nice things people have said to me.”

What an incredible honour and achievement for Peter White OAM. Congratulations for your longstanding service, and efforts to the veterans and local community.

MOUNTIES

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