Australia Day Honours: Jurien Bay’s Robin Randall posthumously awarded OAM, family thrilled for ‘final hurrah’

The family of a Jurien Bay man posthumously awarded an Order of Australia Medal are thrilled for this “final hurrah” to highlight an exceptional life driven by community spirit. Robin Kenneth Randall has been honoured for his decades of tireless volunteering and significant contribution to the community through emergency response organisations. He was well known throughout the Shire of Dandaragan, volunteering his time in a number of different ways. His service through Marine Rescue Jurien Bay was significant, having volunteered with the organisation for more than 30 years. His daughter Sandra said it was the epitome of her father’s character. “He saw there was a need for radio operators and when he threw himself into anything, he did so wholeheartedly,” she said. “He took on pretty much every single role there was. He did his cert four so that he could do the official training. “He loved it and lived it, he was down at the base almost every day during the summer.” Throughout his time volunteering, Mr Randall held a number of roles, including commander, secretary, treasurer, and training officer amongst others. He was also recognised with life membership with the organisation. Mr Randall’s other contributions included bringing faith to the local community, having been a lay preacher with the Anglican Church. Ms Randall said her father stepped in due to a lack of services. “There wasn’t a church in Badgingarra or Jurien at the time, and we needed lay preachers,” she said. “He went to Synod, he was on committees. “There was a need, so he did it.” Mr Randall also spent years as a volunteer fire control officer in the Badgingarra Brigade, and drove people to Perth for health appointments. He was recognised with a number of awards, including citizen of the year, and the National Medal. His contribution to the community was felt throughout the shire. Ms Randall said from a young age, her and her brother would help their father with his charitable work. “When the neighbours needed help with their house, kids were free labour,” she joked. “It was fun, but it was just what we did, I’ve never known any different and neither has my brother and my nephews.” Ms Randall continued, saying her father was ahead of his time as a role model. “He advocated for girls to be able to do anything, he allowed me to play cricket in an all-boys team before it was accepted that girls could play,” she said. “He was curious about everything, and he wanted to understand and to learn, and he would talk to absolutely anyone. “That curiosity and that interest in people and places has rubbed off on me a lot.” Mr Randall died in May last year from brain cancer. His daughter said the whole family was proud of the life he lived, and of his accomplishments. “Mum, my brother and I are absolutely thrilled, because it validates everything that he did,” she said. “I’m thrilled that we get this final hurrah and we get to share more about what he did for the community and what he was like.”