Change through dialogue the key
NOW Cam Leitch is retired, he wants to leave the world a better place.
The former engineer, who is an empty nester in Douglas with his wife Suva, has been in Townsville for 40 years since he completed his degree at James Cook University.
After retiring four years ago, Cam has volunteered making sandwiches for homeless people for Street Access Vans and has joined the Queensland Conservation Council as well as protesting against Adani’s mining plans.
“I’m keen to promote the idea climate change is real otherwise our kids are going to hate us,” he said.
While Cam is anti- Adani and opposed to Townsville City Council’s plan to fund its airstrip, he doesn’t agree with the actions of some of the protesters.
“I’m keen to stop it but I want to do it by engaging in dialogue and not chaining myself to railway tracks,” he said.
Cam worked for the Northern Electrical Authority on transmission lines before working for a local company.
However, during an economic downturn he was made redundant and couldn’t find work so Suva returned to work as a teacher.
“Our eldest son was three and our youngest was one so I became a house dad and that was a great period of my life,” Cam said.
In 2002, Cam started work in the Cyclone Testing Station as a research engineer, which he said was hugely rewarding.
As well as doing damage investigations after cyclones, he was part of a team that would test infrastructure to see what conditions it would withstand.
“Wind finds the weak link,” he said. “I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for that phrase. I used to get paid to break things under controlled conditions.”
Cam has a love of music and is involved in a ukulele club HIGH NOTE: Former engineer Cam Leitch wants to leave the world a better place. which plays at the West End Hotel on Wednesday nights and sometimes in aged care facilities at weekends.
He dabbles in photography and is a keen runner too.
“I think Townsville is big enough to have most things you want to do. I really enjoy the arts side of it.” > Editor Jenna Cairney is on a quest to meet Bulletin readers, hear their stories and learn what they love about living in North Queensland. To take part in the 100 readers in 100 days series email jenna. cairney@ news. com. au