A past president of the Tasmanian Conservation Trust and long-time member, Malcolm Grant OAM, died on 14 August 2015. At ninety years of age, Malcolm lived a full life and maintained a long commitment to the environment movement and will be greatly missed by his family, friends and the many people who worked with him over the years. A Tasmanian by birth, he also had a love of travel and worked from 1947 to 1958 in Bavaria and Switzerland, then travelled to England where he met his wife Linley. On returning to Tasmania, they married in 1959.
Malcolm taught languages at Burnie High then Parklands High, was Deputy Head at Ogilvie and George Town High Schools, and then became secretary and moderator for the Schools Board of Tasmania for 15 years.
A keen bushwalker, Malcolm helped found the North West Walking Club and served on the South West Committee, working to create the South West National Park to save Lake Pedder and the Franklin River from flooding. His interest in environmental issues continued throughout his life.
Besides his interest in the environment, Malcolm enjoyed many community interests. As a committed member of Australian Rostrum Malcolm he was awarded a silver and gold medallion for his outstanding service to that organisation. He was Scout Leader for Cubs and Scouts, becoming a State Trainer and a Leader at various camps and Jamborees, including the World Jamboree in 1988. He joined Mount Stuart Neighbourhood Watch, becoming local president, state secretary and state president. He was also involved as an adjudicator for Plain English Speaking, the Lions Club’s Youth of the Year and Legacy’s Youth Speaks competitions. More recently, Malcolm joined the Knocklofty Bushcare Group caring for the Lennard Wall –Valley Street Reserve; he also supported Council on the Ageing, ( COTA) and Hobart Older Person’s Reference Group( HOPRG) and received a Hobart City Council Volunteers Award.
For all his community work, Malcolm was awarded an OAM in 2014.
To quote from the his wife Linley’sown words recently … ‘Malcolm’s life was one of day by day, week by week, continual, committedand whole-hearted service to others, as a teacher and in all the other roles he undertook. He was imminently approachable and with his ready laugh, always gave valuable, considered and well-reasoned help and advice, as well as acts of unseen kindness. Malcolm died on 14 August 2015 as he had lived with dignity and in quietness. We, who have known him, are all the richer for having enjoyed his blue twinkling eyes, his ready laugh and his enjoyment of life. His own comment was that he was a lucky man – and so are we who have known him.’