By Casey Neill
Colin Robinson’s decades-long dedication to the Springvale and District Historical Society started with a talk.
“My late wife and I were asked to give a talk on costumes, period costumes,” he said.
They asked for a display, followed up with a few more, and he signed up in 1999.
Mr Robinson’s commitment to the community through the society and other endeavours – including 20 years as its town crier – earnt him Hall of Fame status at the Greater Dandenong Australia Day Awards in Dandenong Park on Friday 26 January.
“I was just surprised and happy that they recognised what I’ve been doing for the community,” he said.
Mr Robinson moved to Springvale from East Bentleigh when he married in 1959 and has lived there ever since.
He chose the suburb because he wasn’t a fan of cars and could get everywhere he needed to on a bike or a horse.
“It was a country town when we moved here,” he said.
Mr Robinson has been the historical society’s president since 2001.
“They’re a good lot of people, they’re more friends now,” he said.
He regularly curates displays, mostly by tapping into his personal collection.
“We’ve got to make sure that we know what has gone on in the past – even up to what happened yesterday – in Springvale,” he said.
He said people regularly approached the society for help tracing their family tree.
“All the other people who’ve come into the Springvale area and into Australia, it’s their history now – the Vietnamese, Chinese, Cambodians – we need all their history,” he said.
Mr Robinson was invited to be the city’s town crier while serving on Dandenong’s now-defunct Australia Day Committee.
He attends the Australia Day Festival, citizenship ceremonies and more in full costume and full voice.
“You have to really be appointed by the mayor and councillors for your area, and be admitted by the town criers’ guild,” he said.
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