BRUCE Church has been a fixture of the Broken Hill community for decades, with his volunteering receiving significant recognition across the country.
Now, as the 80-year-old slows down, he reflects on his vibrant community-centric life.
The Church family are well known for their contribution to various associations and committees, and their history of running and operating key businesses.
Born in 1955, Mr Church worked in the mines until his twenties, created and ran Church’s Plumbing Supplies until 2001, and owned Fine Impression Gifts in the 1980s.
The family also purchased Bushley Station in 1993, which is in the family to this day.
“We’ve had a lot of fun, it’s been a good town to the family,” Mr Church said.
Mr Church has also been involved with an array of associations in Broken Hill, including the Aero, Speedway, Go-Kart, Speedboat, and Rotary Clubs, alongside AGFAIR and the Racecourse Trust, to name a few.
Alongside community work, Mr Church’s love of cars has been a constant throughout his life in the region.
“I think I had petrol in my blood when I was born,” Mr Church joked.
His work in the region and beyond has been nationally and internationally recognised, with Mr Church receiving the prestigious Medal of the Order (OAM) in 2006, after being nominated anonymously.
He was also awarded the Paul Harris Fellow in 1996, a Rotary International honour that recognises people who have contributed to the Rotary Foundation.
When asked his thoughts on the current decline in volunteering, Mr Church said younger people simply can’t afford to volunteer.
“The biggest reason we’re all seeing is the younger ones just can’t afford to put their time in because they’ve both got to work,” he said.
“In our days, the wife looked after the family and husband looked after the income.”
Reminiscing on his time in the community, Mr Church said his involvement in AGFAIR is one of his proudest moments.
“AGFAIR was a big one,” he said.
“It’s been the biggest thing that I’ve been involved with and was a joint effort. You asked people for help, and they came in and gave you a hand.
“It’s just been enjoyable; the town’s been good to me, so I’ve given back to the town.”
