For a man who by his own admission was never much good as a cricketer or a footballer, Paul “Wally” Sheehan has given a huge contribution to Port Fairy’s cricket and football clubs.
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That huge contribution has been recognised with Mr Sheehan’s award of an Order of Australia (OAM) medal in the general division of this year’s Australia day honours list for services to the Port Fairy community.
Mr Sheehan, 63, first got involved with the Port Fairy Cricket Club in 1978 at the age of 22 and took on the club presidency.
He has served as president for eight seasons and was pivotal in turning the club from a struggling one to one that is thriving with nine teams in men’s, junior and girls competitions.
He was also instrumental in improving the club’s facilities to where it now has two excellent cricket ovals, a two-storey clubhouse and an indoor cricket training centre that “weather-proofs” its preparations.
He has contributed countless thousands of hours to the club, which it recognised by naming the upgraded clubhouse as the P.F. ‘Wally’ Sheehan Pavilion.
With the Port Fairy Football Netball Club, he was a trainer for three of its football teams for 10 years as well as a key fund raiser, for 20 years organising the wine bar at the Port Fairy Folk Festival that helped boost the club’s coffers.
His volunteer work has extended to several other Port Fairy community groups including the annual Heather Holcombe Melbourne Cup lunch that raises money for charity, for Peter’s Project that supports the South-West Regional Cancer Centre and the Southcombe Park Sporting Complex.
Mr Sheehan said Port Fairy was a “great town to be part of with a remarkable volunteer ethos”.
His community work had given him a lot of satisfaction, he said.
For many years, Mr Sheehan grew potatoes and onions on his Rosebrook farm on Port Fairy’s eastern outskirts before recently moving to build a house nearby.
He has retired but said he was “busier than ever.”
