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Peter downie6/12/2023 ![]() ![]() In that capacity, he oversaw PD workers as they toiled on projects for non-profit groups, needy families and the elderly, including doing regular work at schools and churches, growing community vegetable gardens and cutting and delivering firewood. He also became a Civil Defence Police Warden.Īmong the paperwork his family have been sifting through is the certificate awarding Peter life membership to the Cambridge RSA. Peter Downie, seen here surrounded by his grandchildren, was a man who gave a great deal to Cambridge.Īfter losing Keith to cancer in his early 20s, Peter settled in Cambridge. He worked for Rosswood Implements in Leamington for 39 years, while also answering the call to become a Periodic Detention Warden in Cambridge. He considered extending his service to Vietnam but instead returned to Cambridge where he became a life member of the RSA and led Cambridge Anzac Day parades for decades. A keen woodworker – one who devoted long hours to crafting furniture and toys for his own home and for others – he also made the white crosses we associate with our commemorative ceremonies. This was the first Anzac Day he had missed.īorn in Paeroa, Peter and his five siblings spent time in an orphanage when their parents split up. He and one brother, Keith, were then fostered together to a Cambridge family, both going on to attend Leamington School and Cambridge High. Peter’s children followed the tradition, and he spent some time on the Leamington School PTA. He served in Malaysia and Borneo in the early 1960s. They knew of his involvement with Cambridge, but the full extent of it became clear only as they began clearing out the house he built 48 years ago, and where he lived out his days.įirst and foremost, Peter was an ex-serviceman. He also donated produce to his grandchildren’s school galas to help boost school funds.īrenda and her brothers, Paul and Glen, came from their homes in Tauranga, Wellington and Havelock North to spend Peter’s last few weeks at his side. That heart earned him a reputation for giving away pickled onions, jams and chutneys to anyone wanting them. “He had a big heart … he’d do anything for anyone.” People gravitated to him all his life, said his daughter Brenda Downie. The weeks leading up to his passing were shaped by visits from children and grandchildren, friends, neighbours, and a host of others keen to toast a life well-lived. There was no funeral – that was just the way he wanted it. Peter died at his Leamington home earlier this month. It didn’t stop him from putting down family roots and winning plaudits for the work he did for Cambridge over seven decades. SAILS at Bayside welcomes help – both financial and volunteering (and it’s fun to boot!).Ĭontact Peter Downie 07 31370000 for more information.Peter Downie served in Malaysia and Borneo in the early 1960sĪ tough start in life did little to dent the generous nature that characterised Peter Downie. ![]() SAILS’ leaders and volunteers are resilient and resourceful and take these challenges head-on because of their commitment to their participants and the proven success of their activities. In addition to covering operating and maintenance costs, SAILS will need to relocate its purpose-built catamaran shed in the next year or so when the current site is no longer available. Funding for maintenance and operations comes from fundraising activities (BBQs, trivia nights etc.), monthly public sailing and kayaking events at Wynnum or Cleveland, donations, and occasional grants.Ĭovid-19 has significantly impacted on finances. SAILS operates four catamarans, 14 kayaks, and a safety boat. On-water activities are held for children in out-of-home care, school groups with specific needs, and in recent years, refugees through the Qld Program of Assistance to Survivors of Torture & Trauma (QPASTT). Their sailing and kayaking activities support organisations like BABI and Silky Oaks, as they work with young people not receptive to traditional programs. SAILS is a community outreach of several southern Moreton Bay Anglican Parishes. For the past 15 years SAILS at Bayside has provided opportunities through sailing and kayaking for young people at risk, and their families and their carers, to overcome difficulties, reach their potential and engage fully in community life. ![]()
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