Our history was Norman’s gift, Mudgee Guardian 25th May 2012

Norman McVicker (1920 – 2012)

By Di Simmonds

BORN STORYTELLER: Norman McVicker turned his gift for language and love of a quirky tale to everything from radio plays to theatre and finally to recording keeping alive stories from Australian and local history

“Some people are volunteer fire fighters, some rescue squad. I am too old to be fighting fires or rescuing people, so I do what I can do – I write the people’s history.”

These are the words of the late Norman McVicker, local historian and volunteer writer of Tales Along the Wallaby Track for the Mudgee Guardian for 23 years, having written 1,180 local and national historic articles about the people who pioneered the land we live in today.

This was his gift – the legacy he gave us all – our own history.

Norman might have been too old to fight fires, but he was in the thick of community life from the time he arrived in Mudgee to ‘retire’ in 1980, while living an alternative lifestyle on his native bush herb farm in Pipe Clay Lane surrounded by his huge colony of kangaroos, wild parrots, and wild wattle trees.

Drawing from his immense experience in the world of theatre and art, he became a foundation member of the Mudgee Arts Council and organised their first art show, also becoming a mentor for Mudgee High School musical productions. Norman inspired many of our young actors to follow their dreams.

Not satisfied there, Norman lobbied for implementation of the Mudgee Shire Australia Day Arts Award, designing the Council Chamber’s Roll of Recognition for Australia Day award recipients and also designing and writing the Wall of Reflection in the Mudgee Shire Library.

A passion for history saw Norman lobby for the retention and restoration of the Eurunderee School site, where Henry Lawson attended school as a boy. Norman designed and arranged the sign posted history tour of Lawson Country, The Wallaby Track. The site was visited by Rear-Admiral Peter Sinclair AC Governor of NSW in 1993.

Norman began writing Tales Along the Wallaby Track for the Mudgee Guardian in 1989; first a single column on page 2 every week, later flourishing into the weekly full page story and photo features of today.

He was an expert storyteller, his work written in the quirky, interest grabbing language he learnt when he began his writing career in 1937 at the age of 17 when he did his first radio play ‘King Peter’ for 2SM in Sydney and then wrote and broadcast for 2UW’s Children Session.

Gone were the boring, dry history books. Norman’s history came alive for his readers and his latest publications, written at the grand old age of 92 still enthral and capture the imagination.

Norman was born at Tempe, Sydney, in 1920. During his early career as a freelance journalist and playwright, he was appointed the Unit Education Officer for the Australian Army Service Corps before joining BCPA and QANTAS Airlines Audit Department as audit manager.

He worked with QANTAS for the next thirty years and while constantly travelling the globe, Norman became a Council Member of the British Drama League of Australia and was heavily involved in tutoring and mentoring the theatre world. He was involved in the emergence of the Pocket Playhouse in St Peters, Sydney and founded and directed the Pocket Playhouse Children’s Theatre. In 1966 Norman was appointed by the Prime Minister Harold Holt as a member of the Australian UNESCO Committee for Drama and Theatre.

And these are the skills he ‘retired’ to Mudgee with, imbedding his crafts within our community.

Norman received a number of achievement awards for his contributions to art by the Mid Western Regional Council.

George Souris presented Norman with the highest possible state award for NSW in 2007, the Premier of New South Wales Community Service Award, for outstanding services to the Mudgee community for his history writing, theatre and art work.

On a National level, Norman was awarded the Order of Australia Medal in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2003 for his service to the performing arts, theatre and the Mudgee community, the award presented by the Governor of NSW, Professor Marie Bashir AC. Norman was also twice nominated for Australian of the Year.

Norman was the longest serving journalist at the Mudgee Guardian and served six editors over his time there. He grew from typing his stories by hand each week, to learning and mastering computer techniques in his mid 80s, always handing in impeccably presented work that no one would dare touch – nor did they need to even check it.

He saw the Guardian staff as his family and no matter how many staff changes occurred, each wave of new journalists adopted Norman as their own.

His history segment each week was a labour of love, given to the people of Mudgee, the town he loved and cultivated in the history, arts and theatrical world.

Vale Norman. Till we meet again one day. You will be sadly missed.

Norman McVicker’s funeral will be held at St Mary’s Catholic Church Mudgee on Tuesday at 1pm.

Farewell, Norman. The Weekly, 23th May 2012

The Mudgee Guardian & The Weekly is sad to announce the death of our long-time columnist Norman McVicker OAM.
Mr McVicker passed away at the Mudgee and District Hospital this week, aged 92 years.

Mr McVicker began his writing career in 1937 as a freelance journalist and radio scriptwriter.

He founded the St Peter’s Community Players, which grew into the Pocket Playhouse, and also founded the Pocket Playhouse Children’s Theatre.

After moving to Mudgee in 1980, he was a founding member of Mudgee Arts Council. He lobbied for the introduction of the Australia Day Arts Award and wrote biographies of Mudgee pioneers for a Wall of Reflections in Mid-Western Regional Council.

He also lobbied and coordinated the restoration of the Eurunderee School which was once attended by Henry Lawson.

He was a life member of the Mudgee Arts Council and in 2007 was awarded the NSW Premier’s Award for his historical work.

In the same year he received the Seniors Week Achievement Award for Education/Lifelong Learning.

He received the the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for service to the performing arts, particularly theatre, and to the community of Mudgee.

Mr McVicker contributed his “Tales From the Wallaby Track” to the Mudgee Guardian for 23 years. A collection of his column was also published as a popular book.

In accordance with his wishes, his remaining columns will continue to be published for the next five weeks.

Staff of the Mudgee Guardian & The Weekly offer our condolences to Mr McVicker’s family and many friends.

Norman McVicker OAM