By Casey Neill
Manufacturing, Scouting and the wider Greater Dandenong community have lost a leading figure in Tom Hartley.
The Endeavour Hills resident died on Tuesday 8 August at age 80 following a long health battle.
He received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in June.
“A truly inspirational man with a lifetime commitment to family, Scouting, church and business,” a tribute from his family read.
“He has left an amazing legacy.”
A tribute from Scouts Victoria described Mr Hartley, its vice president, as “a great Victorian who inspired all with his generous contribution to helping build a better world”.
“From local Scout Leader to Chairman of Scouts Victoria, Vice-President and life member, Tom gave 60 years’ service to Scouting,” it read.
“We were honoured to share him with his family, business and church, and we’ll miss him greatly.”
Mr Hartley was “absolutely thrilled” to receive the OAM nod, he told the Journal, and described the moment that started it all.
He grew up in Leeds, England, and had a run-in with a vicar over some mischief-making.
The ultimatum – join the choir or the vicar would take him home to his mum.
“Being a coward, I joined the choir,” Mr Hartley said.
Through the singing group he met children that he’d seen tending a fire in a park.
They told him they were Scouts and he was welcome to join.
“I suppose it changed my life,” he said.
“It taught me leadership and teamship, to be resilient, to care for other people and the will to succeed.
“That put me in good stead to run a business.”
Mr Hartley arrived in Australia in 1956 as a third-year apprentice toolmaker.
He met wife Margo through the youth group at St James Anglican Church in Dandenong.
Hilton’s beginnings were in 1976 “in a little tin shed” after Mr Hartley was twice retrenched.
Today it employs hundreds of people and is growing rapidly, and son Todd is at the helm.
The company earned an induction into the Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame in 2008.
In 2014 Mr Hartley joined the Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame Honour Roll, a nod reserved for individuals or organisations that have made an outstanding contribution to manufacturing excellence in Victoria.
Greater Dandenong Chamber of Commerce inducted Mr Hartley into its Hall of Fame in 2015.
Mr Hartley is survived by wife Margo, sons Mark and Todd, daughter-in-law Michelle and granddaughters Leni and Zara.
