A WELL known local of 36 years has said his farewells and headed south but not before being given a send-off worthy of the Whitsundays.
Ian Johnston was a long-term member of the Rotary Club of Airlie Beach and is most proud of his involvement with the ‘famous’ Rotary Phone Book, which was in print from 1992 to 2020.
He arrived in the Whitsundays in April 1989, from Sydney, having driven for five days via the ‘backroads’ due to the flooding at the time.
“I came up here because I guess you could say I was having a mid-life crisis!” Ian, now 83, said.
“I got out of corporate life and my first wife was a mad scuba diver, and we both enjoyed sailing, so we came to the Whitsundays.”
Born and raised in Tasmania, Ian worked in London, UK, for six years, before coming back to Australia and living in Sydney, Adelaide and Melbourne…and then Airlie Beach.
“We came up to do some investing in property because I could foresee that Airlie Beach was an undiscovered jewel, as far as tourism was concerned,” he said.
“We built some units in Airlie Crescent, in 1990, but then the recession hit, in 1991, and I decided to look for a business because property was in the doldrums.
“I bought Hertz Car Rentals, which was going broke, and then bought National Car Rentals as well.
“We started with five cars and, by 1996 when I sold both businesses, we had 65 vehicles.”
Ian and wife Judy, who took off on Monday, were farewelled at a casual dinner held at Club Whitsunday, Jubilee Pocket, on Monday, February 24.
The Rotary Club presented Ian and Judy with a framed photograph of the local area in thanks for Ian’s service to the club and the community.
Ian joined the Rotary Club of Airlie Beach on June 1, 1992, and was a member for 32 years and nine months.
He held the position of club treasurer for nine of those years (not all continuous) and was club president in 2000-2001.
For several years, he was also the club’s liaison with the contractor who produced the club’s Rotary Phone Guide, which grew exponentially over the years as the region’s population grew. It was also very well supported by advertisers.
“We started as a ‘cottage industry’ and grew it to a point where we had contractors working for us,” Ian said.
“It was a very successful money raiser. We provided funding for the PCYC, Jubilee Pocket, originally, and also donated $100,000 to the VMR, in Cannonvale, to help get it going.”
Ian was also honoured by the club for his service to Rotary and the community through the presentation of four Paul Harris Fellow recognitions (named after Rotary’s founder) during his time in the club.
Ian and Judy are moving south to be closer to family and will be based in both Geelong, Victoria, and on the Gold Coast.
“I will miss the sea views,” Ian said of his time in the Whitsundays.
“I have lived in different places in the Whitsundays but I always had a sea view. And I’ll miss the sailing, and of course our friends.”
PHOTO: Ian Johnston (second from right at front) with wife Judy on his left, pictured with Rotary members, former members and friends.
