Having recently passed away, John Lennox’s contribution to Old Beach cannot be understated. Old Beach in 1982 was a vastly different place to what it is today – no water or sewer reticulation, two types of tanks, water and septic. There was a mix of approximately 40 rural and suburban family homes with parents and some 30 young people aged 5 – 16 years old.

A police officer at Bridgewater, John, known as JB to many, had an interest in community and for keeping young people engaged and on the right side of the law. There were two active groups of community members providing the glue that bonded residents together – Old Beach Volunteer Fire Brigade and The Old Beach Progress Association Inc. John was an active member of both, and for a period served as President of the Progress Association.

Both groups attracted a large percentage of community participation. When something needed doing in those days, the community didn’t look to Council to provide – they basically made their own arrangements, raised the funds and undertook the project themselves. This happened when the Brigade received an allocation of fire appliances from the Tasmania Fire Service – that were hit and miss. The station had a vintage ex-Melbourne Fire Brigade humpback truck largely unsuitable for what was essentially a rural area, and a firefighting trailer towed by a member’s vehicle. The Brigade purchased an old 1610 International 4×4 cab and chassis and built a medium-heavy firefighting tanker for themselves, which was accepted and registered by the government for service in Old Beach and later transferred to another country brigade.

There were two major community projects in the late 1980s and early 1990s. One was the replacement of the Old Beach jetty (the one prior to the current structure), and the other was the playground in the area that fittingly became Lennox Park in recognition of the huge driving force John had behind the project.

John, with military precision, sought input and consulted with all the local youngsters as to what they would like in their playground. The Progress Association acquired the land from the Archdiocese of Hobart, a 50/50 grant from the Bicentennial Fund, and set about obtaining professional drawings, raising funds and acquiring assistance from near and far, including the Australian Defence Force engineers to deliver a steam roller that was donated by Brighton Rotary.

All the volunteer labour came from local men and women through the Parole Board and was supervised by John and the younger community over the two-year construction period. Construction of the playground for “our children” (John’s words) started in October 1986, with the playground opening on 26 November, 1988.

John’s contribution is best summed up in the last paragraph of the 1990/91 Old Beach Progress Association President’s Report, with President Lorraine Green thanking John. Lorraine wrote: “His commitment to maintaining Old Beach as a good place to live is unerring. Such community commitment is rare these days and we are fortunate to have John in our community.”

RIP John and thank you!