NEARLY THERE!!!
We are finally there – on the brink of building the Ray Whiteman Heritage Fence.
Many of you will have seen the display pier in the Wal Buckingham Memorial Park on Anzac Day and since. Well, this is the sample of things to come. Our plan is to start the build on Monday June 2nd. Lots of work has gone into the stunning carvings and plans made with Hornsby Shire Council. The set up is finalised, services checks done, trees removed to make way for the fence.
So the barriers have gone up and the fun will start!
Just wait until you see the carvings … accolades will pour in for the great artistic work of Karl Van Mideldyk of Aussie Stonemasons in these 14 beautiful carvings, the fruition of over 5 years of planning.
That same period of time has seen countless hours put into the fundraising effort by many resulting in the contribution of almost $170,000 from our community.
Many thanks have to go to our major sponsors Bendigo Bank, Hornsby Shire Council, State Government, Whiteman Trust, and supporters The Hills Shire Council, PF Formations, Dixon Rock and Sand, Rotary Club of Greater Hills, HCM Building, Shores, Nicholsons, Holts plus lots of local residents from Glenorie District.
A big thanks to the Dearman family descendants and the Shore Family for their sponsorship of a pier each with their family name on it. George & Phyllis Dearman who founded the Glenorie Bus Company will have their name carved on the transport pier. We all are hearing about the Shore Family whose name will be carved on the cricket pier.
Of course you are all involved in the fundraising if you have purchased a paver with your family name(s), a memorial paver or a paver honouring a veteran. Huge thanks to the Beard, Whiteman, Hughes, Nicholsons family’s descendants and to all those who have more recently made Glenorie your home, to be recorded for ever in pavers laid in the precinct of the Glenorie memorial Hall.
We continue our Paver Tales on the Shore Family below…
THE GLENORIE SHORE FAMILY STORY 1909-2025 PART 2
High School Education was another story. No Local High Schools. Brother Les appeared destined to take over the Carrying Business except for the intervention by the Principal of Westmead who convinced our parents Les’s results (Dux of the School) entitled him to a higher education. Dad chose Sydney Tech High which made Les the first from this area to journey of some 3 hours each way to a full High School, depending on bus and train connections.
The rest of the family, chasing an education, rode bikes or walked two miles along a gravel road (Cattai Rd) in all weathers, with our suitcases strapped on our backs to the bus stop. Caught the bus to the train station, boarded, then changed trains as necessary and finally walked to the High School.
Sport was another high priority of the Shore Family. Dad put a concrete cricket pitch in the middle of our horse paddock. We played whenever there was some spare time. He also built a Tennis Court, and we entered in the local Tennis Competition as “Coronation” (1953).
After WW 2 Dad rallied the locals to a meeting which reignited the Glenorie Cricket Club. As President and brother, Les, Assistant Secretary, many letters went to the BHSC requesting land for a Cricket/Sports Ground at Glenorie in their Shire. Eventually a block of land was allocated for a sports field. Dad, with the Blacks, the Beards and other notable locals, using their trucks, tractors, farm machinery, shovels, hoes and rakes, completed the heavy work. Council finished it. Glenorie Oval was born. (Now named the “Les Shore Oval” in honour of his years of commitment to its development.) The ground was officially opened in1958 by Neil Marks.
After High School Les entered Wagga Teachers College. After graduating he excelled in his profession and was appointed as the youngest 1st Class Primary School Principal in our state. After our father passed away in 1961, Les returned to Glenorie to care for Mum, turn his hand at farming and ran successfully for The Hills Shire Council where he spent much of his life committed to public service.
Forty years on Local Council (3 of those years as Mayor) Les achieved many successes too numerous to mention here like tarring the sometimes dusty, sometimes muddy, but always rough, remaining kilometres of Cattai Ridge Road leading to Maraylya. He also was instrumental in having land at the end of Dilkera Av. set aside for the Glenorie Pony Club. Les was also involved in a myriad of committees throughout the area.
As a Public Servant, he retired as Principal of Castle Hill Primary School (coincidently the school he enrolled at as a kindy kid). In his honour the road to the school was named Les Shore Place.
