| Roles held: | 1st Lieutenant 1951 – 1953 |
| Captain 1953 – 1957 | |
| 1st Lieutenant 1957– 1961 | |
| President 1961 – 1967 |
Geoffrey Raws (right) with Alan Forster of the Pt Leo Surf Life Saving Club. Photo courtesy of Life Saving Victoria.
Geoffrey Raws was born 17/3/1910 at Wallaroo on the Yorke Peninsula in South Australia. His father worked in the mining industry and was later knighted for his involvement in the amalgamation of many companies in which he became a director including ICI and BHP.
Though Dad grew up in Melbourne and attended Melbourne Grammar, he did want to farm. Returning from a trip overseas with his parents, Dad took up the offer of becoming a jackeroo on Tarramia and later Austin Wanganella – huge Merino sheep stations. I don’t know which he learnt quicker, to ride, live in a woolshed or to cook – once he found that a sheep was cooked twice a week and eaten cold for the other meals.
Geoff married Jean in 1935 and leased Tarramia amongst other properties till he joined the army serving in the Middle East and New Guinea from 1940-44. This must have caused anxiety for his family as his uncle had been killed in the First World War. The years 1944-51 were spent building up Mt Edgar near York before they sold out and moved to Pt Leo.
Pt Leo farm was bought for 40,000 pounds, its 400 acres being extended to 600 acres – farming sheep and later cattle. In 1963, the farm came second in the Henslow Cup conservation award for its innovative levee banks dispersing water across 1/3 of the property and preventing erosion. Dad was quite angry that the property that won had also caused erosion that they subsequently prevented.
Community input was paramount for small rural areas in spite, or because, of the lack of materials and, like most people, Dad was very civil minded.
I think he was bemused at becoming the founding President of the Pt Leo Surf Life Saving Club 1955-67. He signed up what seemed like most of the Surf Club members to the Shoreham Fire Brigade – and, in return, a lot of the fire brigade members helped build the surf club. At least on one occasion, the club’s members helped fight a fire on our property.
In 1959, Dad had his photo taken for the “Stock and Land” with an article describing his fire tank. A pit and ramp allowed our truck to back and consequently lifting the tank releasing the cross rails for easy removal – and off went the truck to the fire or, more often, to water the hundreds of trees that Mum and Dad had planted on the badly degenerated foreshore at Pt Leo. Raws Reserve named after them is testament to the work they did.
Sundays were, unless stock were lambing or ill, a day off from the farm he deservedly was so proud of. Instead, it was a Foreshore, Surf Club, or Fire Brigade meeting.
He looked to the past by leading the stirring service and march on ANZAC day at Flinders and to the future helping build up the community.
Rene White (daughter of Geoffrey and Jean)
An extract from the Shoreham Rural Fire Brigade, 50th Anniversary Booklet (1999)