Sophie Conlon
A love of music and his community has led to Allen Woodham being named the 2023 City of Mount Gambier Senior Citizen of the Year.
Mr Woodham has given back to Mount Gambier through his work with the Salvation Army and Lions Club, but it is his work in bringing music to the community that he is most proud of.
He is involved with the Mount Gambier City Band, the Local Brass Band, and brings a musical touch to the Christmas Parade Advisory Group.
“It’s just something I love to do, Mount Gambier to me is the greatest place to live, it’s a fantastic place to live,” he said.
Having lived and worked in the community all his life, Mr Woodham said he was thankful to be able to give back to it over the past 20 years.
“I got very involved with brass band music and that became my passion and something I’ve followed all my life,” he said.
“In recent years I’ve been involved in the Christmas Parade, I’ve been responsible for bringing the brass bands to Mount Gambier for the past 25 years.”
Mr Woodham said organising the bands for the Christmas Parade and the Brass Band Festival was one of his favourite things and it was great to see the bands marching in the parade again after a two year Covid hiatus.
“It’s a lot of work, but it’s not when it’s not when it’s something that is your passion and you enjoy,” he said.
“When I see the bands march down the street that’s my reward, there’s nothing like it.”
In his professional life Mr Woodham was executive officer at the National Band Council of Australia for eight years before coming back to Mount Gambier and focusing on local bands.
One of his proudest achievements was bringing the International Staff Band of The Salvation Army to Mount Gambier in 2015.
“That was just something that was just so special, because the International Staff Band is without doubt one of the greatest brass bands in the world and we had a concert here in Mount Gambier and it was a sell out,” he said.
“People were queuing at the door trying to get in, it was just magnificent to have a group of that level playing in our own theatre, that was a great thrill for me.”
Mr Woodham, who has previously been awarded an Order of Australia Medal, said it was a great honour to be recognised by his own community.
“It’s nice to get these things, but we do it because it’s a passion, brass band music has been my life and it’s a wonderful pastime,” he said.
“To get recognised by your own city, for things that you’re doing in your own city is very special and I was a bit overwhelmed.”
