Mildura’s latest Freeman of the City a role model for the Mallee

Published on 06 October 2018

Mildura Rural City Council this weekend conferred its highest honour on a Mallee resident who has selflessly dedicated almost 50 years to her community and those around her.

Jocelyn Lindner was officially made a Freeman of the City at a special ceremony this afternoon, fittingly held at Kow Plains Homestead, which is one of the numerous projects she has had a pivotal involvement with. 

Described as the epitome of the rural volunteer, Jocelyn has lived in the Tutye, Cowangie and Murrayville districts for the past 47 years, during which time she has given selflessly to her community, contributing to the many essential community organisations and services in these areas.

Mayor Mark Eckel was on hand to confer the honour this afternoon and said Jocelyn was a role model not just for her family, but her community and all who come into contact with her.

“When you look at what Jocelyn has achieved, the sheer number of organisations and groups she’s positively contributed to, and impact she’s had on her community, I can’t think of a more deserving person to receive our highest honour,” Cr Eckel.

Jocelyn’s community involvement started almost the instant she arrived in the Mallee region 47 years ago, when she joined the Cowangie branch of the Country Women’s Association of Victoria (CWA).

She has been a member for this entire period, serving nine terms as Branch President, spanning 18 years, including two terms as Mallee Group Leader (2012 and 2013).

Jocelyn has made significant contributions to education in the Mallee, donating hundreds of hours to improve education outcomes for the region’s young people.

Highlights include eight years during the 1970s and 1980s assisting with the reading program at Murrayville Consolidated School.

She was a member of the Murrayville Secondary College Council from 1989 to 1993, and even after her children finished school maintained a strong involvement in a variety of areas, including history, gardening and native flora, and was responsible for establishing the Cowangie Adult Literacy Group.

One of Jocelyn’s largest community projects, and the most significant, has been Kow Plains Homestead.

Jocelyn worked tirelessly for 15 years to restore the Homestead, including working through the myriad of regional and state regulations required to obtain historical classification for the site.

Her dream to have Kow Plains Homestead restored was realised in October 2001, when the first stage of restoration works was opened. Jocelyn also researched and wrote a history of the homestead and surrounding area, which was launched at the opening.

She’s since overseen two additional stages of restoration works at Kow Plains Homestead and has been President of the Kow Plains Homestead Committee of Management since its inception 20 years ago.

Jocelyn has been heavily involved in the Cowangie and Tutye communities for decades, dedicating her time as a Sunday School teacher at the Cowangie Uniting Church throughout most of the 1980s, and has been an active member of the church’s Guild since 1999.

She’s been a member of the Cowangie Hall Committee for about 20 years, and with her late husband Tom, hosted several garden parties to raise money for the hall, including growing over 1000 plants each year to sell at these parties to raise further funds.

Her contribution to the Tutye Cemetery meanwhile has very much been a family affair. Along with her late husband and her family, she has been caretaker of the Tutye Cemetery for many years, donating and planting trees and maintaining the grounds.

Jocelyn’s lifelong passions for native flora and fauna, as well as local history, have also shaped her contributions to the community.

She’s served terms on committees and groups including the Society for Growing Australian Plants (40 years) and Greening the Line Committee, and volunteered countless hours to community gardens in Cowangie and Murrayville.

The author of multiple books, Jocelyn self-published Flora and fauna of the Victoria and South Australian Mallee in 2015, which was the result of 30 years observing and documenting unique and interesting flora and fauna of the region.

She joins Margaret Kelly (2005) John Burfitt (2010) and Denis Ryan AM (2018) as Mildura’s current Freemen of the City.