Dennis Harris

 

35+ year member, and Life Member, Dennis was awarded the Order of Australia Medal in Australia Day Honours 2019. He has also named Bass Coast Shire Council Citizen Of The Year in 2013.

 

Dennis was presented with the award at Government House by the Governor of Victoria, the Hon Linda Dessau on 3 April 2019.

Born and raised on Phillip Island, Dennis Harris has achieved a long and distinguished career in surf life saving administration and in doing so has made a significant contribution to the local community.

Over a period of 35+ years, Dennis has consistently served the Woolamai Beach Surf Life Saving Club by leading a range of fundraising initiatives, events and projects which have sustained the Club over a long period of time. He has inspired many Club members with his efforts and has formed a valuable link between the Club and the local community.

Dennis has been strongly supported in his efforts throughout this period by his wife Kath.

Dennis began his involvement with the Club through his daughters Kylie and Sarah and his niece and nephew Emma and Jason participating in the Club’s Cowes Nippers program and then doing their Bronze Medallions and patrolling at Woolamai Beach SLSC.

In the mid 1980s Dennis began his significant contribution to the Club by organising fundraising through sunscreen sales, tin rattles and raffles.  He then turned his mind to sponsorships and through his networking skills engaged with local businesses and community organisations to support the Club in its fundraising efforts.

It was through these local networks that in 1986 Dennis along with several other  Club members and prominent locals including Lyall Williams played a key part in establishing the San Remo Channel Challenge biathlon which has now been running for 33 years and regularly attracts a field of 500 competitors.  The Channel Challenge brings thousands of visitors to San Remo for the event and its associated festival.  It is one of the biggest days in the local tourism calendar and a huge fundraiser for the Woolamai Beach Surf Life Saving Club.  The event is supported by the Bass Coast Shire Council, Phillip Island Nature Park and a range of local community associations and has given the Club an enduring profile in the local community. Dennis for many years was the lead event organiser and promoter, then for many years assisted his good friend Ron Nicholson in running the event.  To this day he still finds a way to contribute to the event and assisting the organising Committee.

Similarly Dennis helped establish of the Cowes Classic biathlon and the Phillip Island Penguin Classic swim and for many years played a key organising role.

From the mid 1980s and throughout the 1990s Dennis was instrumental in arranging sponsorships for motorised equipment such as four wheel drives, motorised quad runners and outboard engines for inflatable rescue boats.

Recognising the need to retain older members in the Club, Dennis along with Brian Taylor facilitated the purchase of a property at Cape Woolamai and the building of a house so that life savers with families would have a place to stay when patrolling.

Dennis also assisted the Building Committee which in the late 1990’s secured $1.3M funding to build the current Clubhouse.  His role involved liaising with various levels of government which played a big part in securing funding.

Dennis also played a key role in the establishment of the beach numbering system which has led to yellow beach identification signs at numerous beaches around the Island.  This system has been of invaluable assistance to emergency services and has been replicated along many other parts of Victoria’s coastline.

Dennis served on the Club Committee for many years including stints as Vice President and a number of other Executive roles.

In addition to his Channel Challenge role, Dennis has also supported the Club through sourcing thousands of dollars worth of raffle prizes to support fundraising efforts by the Club’s Nippers program. His grandsons Aidan, Blake, Leo and Jasper have all participated in the program.  Aidan and Blake are now patrolling at the Club.

Woolamai Beach Surf Life Saving Club has recognised his contribution by awarding him life membership.  In 1995 Dennis was awarded a Sport and Recreation Victoria award for his outstanding contribution to the Club and in 2013 Dennis was named Bass Coast Shire Council’s Citizen of the Year.

Dennis is to be commended for all of his achievements and will be a worthy recipient of the Order of Australia Medal.

 
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