Born 19 December 1947 at Camperdown NSW, I went to Darwin when I was 3 years old as my Father was appointed the health inspector for Darwin. I attended school in Darwin until grade 5 where I was one of 2 non Aboriginal and TI kids in the class. In 1956 we had a serious car accident on the American highway outside of Darwin and my father was badly injured, resulting in his departure from the Northern Territory Administration and we moved to Gympie where my ancestors were originally gold miners in 1851 (Monkland the suburb comes from my family name). We moved to Tewantin in 1958 and I attended Tewantin State School until grade 8. My family is one of the district pioneer families in Noosa. Great Uncle John selected 400 acres in Noosaville in 1860 and freeholded it in 1901 for threepence per acre.
I started and cancelled apprenticeships as fitter and turner and electrical fitter/mechanic and after receiving a nasty letter from the apprenticeship Board of Qld stating that I was not allowed to start another apprenticeship in Qld, I joined the State Valuer-Generals Department as a cadet rural Valuer. I was registered as a Valuer in 1970 at age 22 and achieved Valuer Division 1 (Highest Valuer Classification) at 23. Before and after registration, I valued the shires of Biggenden, Kilkivan, Kingaroy, Jondaryan, Caboolture, Moreton, Laidley, Esk, Landsborough, Barcoo, Diamantina, Albert, Gooburrum, Maroochy and Isis.
I was appointed Assistant District Manager in charge of the Central West Longreach Office in 1978 and the District Manager Far North District at Cairns in 1979 at 31. I transferred to Manage the Toowoomba Office Darling Downs and Maranowa District in 1980 and became the Regional Manager of the South-West Region (20% of Qld.) in 1986 (Band 3 Senior Executive contract).
In 1989 the then Labour Government abolished the Valuer-Generals Department and created the new Department of Lands which then comprised the Valuer-Generals and Lands Departments, the Titles Office and the Survey Office. I was appointed the Regional Operations Manager South Coast Region and Manager of the Bundall Office. My programs included Valuations, Land Use, Land Development, Aboriginal and TI land claims, Survey, Body corporate Referee and the Titles Office. I had Valuers, surveyors, cartographers, land use and titling people, Body corporate referees, planners and development staff.
My duties included Crown land development residential and industrial estates, dealings with crown land including the Southport Spit, bay islands and aboriginal land claims. I was the State Representative on the Qld Koala Council, Southport Broadwater Planning Committee and Toondah Harbour Committees. I was responsible for making Peel Island a National Park, removing the Lazy Pelican restaurant from the middle of the road in Cavill Avenue, Oskars from the Foreshore on Coolangatta Beach and the illegal uses on the Southport Spit – now proposed ASF site. I was also dealing with the proposed ASF site at the Spit as late as 1995 when I prevented the GCCC snavelling it as a gift for parkland in their then strategic plan for the Spit.
The Labour Government did not like my National Party Contract so they decided to give me a choice of a permanent public servant or a payout so I chose the latter and left the State Government in 1995. I was 47 and retired for 3 weeks.
After boredom set in, I worked for Ian Herriot for 3 years as his Gold Coast Branch manager and litigation manager until 1998 then retired again.
Some 3 months later, an Adelaide Valuation Company head hunted me to become their State Manager to set up Queensland in their National expansion. I agreed to this on my terms and took the fee income from $0 to $3,500,000 in 4 years. This company expected too much of me and I wished to wind down so I resigned and contracted back to them as a Valuer in 2004 and retired in 2006 at 59.
I still do some work part time 2 months per year for the Dept of Natural Resources Independently Chairing, mediating and settling objections to rating valuations over $ 5,000,000 throughout Queensland which includes shopping centres, industrial, high rise sites, large subdivisions, marinas and rural land. I am also an investigator on the Valuers Registration Board of Queensland. This entails investigating complaints made against Valuers and reporting to the Board on breaches of the code of conduct and disciplinary matters.
In my spare time I enjoy my Boat, restoring boats and American Classic Convertibles, travelling in the caravan and overseas and buying and selling real estate (some 40 odd properties to date).
I served in Apex for 8 years retiring at the mandatory 40 years old and joined Rotary in 1995. I have been a Member of Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach Rotary Clubs and have served as Committee Chairs, Director, Treasurer and President. My greatest Rotary achievement was the idea, creation and completion of the Broadbeach Rotary Hub as the Project Manager. I currently Chair the Scooter Project with the able assistance of Cec, Uwe and John C.
I have 2 Children, Shane and Ammie and 7 grandchildren, all of whom live in Logan and Toowoomba.
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