Tony Agnew
Tony is one of our Directors, and is also the Chairperson of our Narooma Education Support Team (NEST).
At a gathering to mourn the failure of the Yes Referendum campaign I met Laurel and Edwin for the first time and learnt of the charitable work being carried out by the Elm Grove Trust. I was inspired by the prospect of being involved in a project that would employ the principles that we sought to uphold during the campaign, which went on to become NEST and supporting the students and staff at Narooma High School.
My journey to that point followed, like many others, a long and winding road. Growing up in the rural town of Toowoomba in Queensland I dutifully completed my secondary studies and took advantage of the opportunity to attend University of Queensland to complete a B.A. without paying fees. Thank you, Gough Whitlam!
However, I felt the call of a wider world and like many of my contemporaries found myself in England where I ended up working in a pub. This was no ordinary pub however, and my employers were passionate about food. This provided me with a wonderful opportunity to develop my own love of food and cooking. As that business grew so did my role, and I spent an amazing few years taking on just about every job possible as the pub evolved into a Michelin-starred restaurant.
Eventually I returned to Australia and keeping the travel theme going started working for the Flight Centre travel company. It was still quite small at that point but grew rapidly and provided opportunities for diversifying into many different areas. I spent twenty years there, ending my time in project development. Then once again, change was calling and this time taking me into a completely different direction.
After becoming interested in Buddhism and attending teachings and retreats, I abandoned the corporate life and took vows as a monk. Initially, I combined this with working in aged care part time. Eventually I went to live at SIBA retreat centre in Gippsland, in the foothills of the Snowy Mountains. It was a beautiful location and daily life there involved not only spiritual practice but also many practical activities. Needless to say, I loved being able to make jam using fruit from the trees on the property!
After about four years the need to return to work and earn a living saw me return my robes and resume life as a regular citizen. Robert, a friend from the retreat centre in Gippsland had bought a house in Dalmeny and offered me the opportunity to share and I leapt at the opportunity to live in such a beautiful part of the world. I was also fortunate to get work in Moruya, working with domestic violence and homelessness. This turned out to be an extremely challenging but also rewarding opportunity that enriched my life in many ways.
And so along came the referendum and getting involved in the campaign to support the Yes vote. Then the disappointment that followed, which in turn was followed by the fortuitous meeting with Laurel and Edwin and the Elm Grove Trust. So that, as they say, is how I ended up being invited to become a director and play a part in the wonderful work of the Trust.