By Dongyun Kwon
Harry Moyle got recognition for his dedication of almost three decades of his life to volunteering his financial expertise to assist Caladenia Dementia Care in Mooroolbark on Sunday 26 January.
Mr Moyle received Mayor’s Lifetime Achiever as part of Yarra Ranges Council’s Australia Day 2025 Community Awards.
Joining in the 90s, the award winner has been an instrumental figure in the Caladenia Dementia Care’s direction and financial governance, bringing his experience as a financial planner, accountant and small business owner.
Mr Moyle said he started off his journey with Caladenia Dementia Care as the treasurer, expecting it to last for three years but ended up being for almost three decades.
“I was studying accounting at the time, part-time at night school, and our founder asked me to be treasurer as they were having financial difficulties in meeting all their expenses,” he said.
“I worked or volunteered as treasurer for about 10 years, then became chairperson and president of the committee, and later board of the company, once we incorporated and became a company.”
Caladenia Dementia Care based in Mooroolbark provides social opportunities and community-based social programs for people living with dementia.
“The whole aim is to give the person that has dementia the opportunity to socialise with others and to be active,” Mr Moyle said.
“The other thing that it does by giving those programs to the person living with dementia is that their carers get respite, so they get five or six hours in the day where they don’t have to care 24/7 for their family member.
“That can mean a real lot for them because they can go and do the shopping or they can have a coffee with their friends and do things that they normally can’t do when the person with the diagnosis is with them.”
The award recipient also played a major role in transitioning Caladenia from an incorporated association to a not-for-profit.
Mr Moyle said the reason for the transition was to get national exposure and various governments’ grants.
“I played a role in that but probably the most significant person was a gentleman named Hamish Russell, who lives in Lilydale and is well known in the area, and he guided us through that process of establishing a constitution and having all the necessary meetings,” he said.
“It wasn’t a massive change.”
Now retired from the board, Mr Moyle has continued to help the organisation host events for fundraising purposes like Bunnings sausage sizzle as well as for social purposes some of which involve training volunteers.
Mr Moyle said he was very proud to receive a special award on Australia Day.
“I’m very much a staunch Aussie and I love Australia,” he said.
“I’m very pleased that I can represent Caledonia and its community.”
His nominator said, “Harry is a willing listener and supporter, a mentor and a trusted advisor whose calmness, thoughtfulness and sage wisdom have laid the groundwork for the organisation’s future.”
