VALUES VITAL TO OUR HOME
THE Townsville of today still has those small town values solicitor Paul Martinez remembers from growing up here. “It’s a big little city,” he said. “I always feel a bit disappointed I was born here because I can’t claim credit for having discovered the place.”
Paul’s seen a lot of the world. He and his wife Kay spent two years in England when they were first married and have since travelled extensively for Paul to referee rugby union or for the Olympics.
Ultimately the family have always called Townsville home and his two daughters, Merissa and Lucy, who are also lawyers, have just returned to the city after overseas stints.
Paul’s father Domingo arrived in Australia with his Spanish parents via Argentina when he was just four months old.
Domingo was a RAAF pilot in the war when he met Paul’s mother who was a pay officer. Then he saw out his career as a solicitor at firm Wilson/ Ryan/ Grose where Paul also spent his working life.
“I’m a great believer that the legal fraternity of this particular town has been hugely responsible for its shape and its worth,” Paul said, explaining how personalities such as George Roberts had the vision to help negotiate a land deal for the university site back in the 1950s.
Paul had five siblings but his sister died in a polio epidemic in the 1950s.
“It destroyed my father so much, he and a group of people started what was then called the North Queensland Society for Crippled Children, which is now known as Cootharinga,” he said.
As a schoolboy, one of Paul’s great loves was rugby league but his indoctrination to union started when he went to school at Nudgee College.
“I was reasonably good at union but I didn’t like it at all,” he said.
“Then I did a couple of years of university here before doing another four years in Brisbane where I played union.”
After his two years in the UK, Paul became a convert to the code and spent his adult life refereeing.
Paul followed in his father’s footsteps of making a difference in the community and he is the Patron for NQ Association for Blind Citizens Incorporated, member of the Townsville City Council’s Art Acquisition Committee and deputy chair of the Philip Leong Youth Program.
More importantly, according to his daughter Lucy: “He’s also a great dad and the quintessential Aussie ‘ good bloke’.” > Editor Jenna Cairney is on a quest to meet Bulletin readers, hear their stories and learn what they love about North Queensland. To take part in the 100 readers in 100 days series email jenna. cairney@ news. com. au