By CASEY NEILL
ROZ Blades came to Australia as a 10 Pound Pom at age 20, having left school at 14.
“It wasn’t that we weren’t bright. Working-class kids weren’t educated,” she said.
On Monday, the City of Greater Dandenong councillor was among 134 Member of the Order of Australia (AM) recipients in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.
The honour was for the 60-year-old’s significant service to local government and the Greater Dandenong community.
“Pinching myself, I am,” she said.
“It’s not about me. It’s about the community and people who trust me enough to vote for me to represent their views.
“It’s really an award for them.”
But she almost missed out on the nod. She received a letter regarding her nomination while on holidays, and was to have accepted it the day before she opened it.
Cr Blades quickly faxed through the form and called to make sure she hadn’t missed the boat.
She’d received letters previously regarding refereeing for other nominees and assumed that’s what the correspondence would be.
“I wasn’t expecting it to be for me,” she said.
“It’s an honour to be in the company of other people I know with an AM.
“The fact that I could even be considered alongside them … I’m humbled.
“They’re my role models.”
Cr Blades and husband Terry heeded the “populate or perish” call and moved to Australia through the Assisted Migrant Program.
“We bought a house, which I don’t think we would have been able to do in England,” she said.
“Australia’s been good to us. I want it to be good for everyone.
“I’m paying back what Australia has done for us.”
Former employer Gillette drew her to Noble Park.
“They didn’t believe my name was Blades,” she laughed.
“I think they just gave me the job because of my name.
“The day of my interview we walked up and down Malvern’s High Street asking where Noble Park was.”
That day Cr Blades was frustrated trying to find a bus to reach her destination – an issue she remains passionate about today.
“It’s all gone from there,” she said.
The family didn’t have much money, so she volunteered her time reading in the classroom in lieu of school fees, and she was soon the Safety House national vice-president.
“I don’t think we saw the kitchen table for four years,” she said.
She took her three kids around the streets as she interviewed people for the program, but soon it all became too much. She’d recently resigned from the post when a council election loomed.
“I’d been to a few council meetings to see what they did and I thought ‘I can do this’,” she said.
She was elected in 1987 and has since served as mayor, on various committees and groups, the Noble Park RSL sub-branch, Noble Park Community Action Forum, Springvale Benevolent Society, City of Greater Dandenong Interfaith Network, and more.
Cr Blades couldn’t have done it without support from Terry and her sons.
“He’s a man of enormous common sense,” she said.
“You’ve got to have the spousal and family support.”
See page 4 for more Greater Dandenong Queen’s Birthday Honours List recipients.
