Chris Rolnik-Citizen of the Year-Finalist -Hills Shire Council 2016 Australia Day Awards

Australia Day 26th January 2016

The Warrah Society is proud to announce that our long term resident and volunteer Chris Rolnik is a finalist in this year’s Hills Shire Council 2016 Australia Day awards. Chris was nominated as a Citizen of the Year, by the Warrah Society, for his outstanding and loyal volunteer status at the Warrah Society spanning 50 years of service.

50 years ago in 1965 a small group of friends formed the Warrah Trust, and our founders, Karl and Hannelor Kaltenbach, started preparing our educational and vocational programs, utilising the principles of Rudolf Steiner’s Curative Education and Social Therapy. Karl and a small group of teenagers with disability began to clear the land in Dural in preparation for a biodynamic vegetable garden. During that time Warrah Society was formed, and 4 years later with financial assistance from the State and Commonwealth, the first residential cottages were built on the Dural campus.

Chris was one of the first residents here at Warrah and came here in his youth. He has been a resident at Warrah for most of his life, yet he still has incredible energy, stamina and enthusiasm for the farm where he still works full time as a volunteer.

Over the last half of a century, Chris has seen lots of changes here at the Warrah Society. Many farmers have come and gone; there have been periods of productivity and relative dormancy. Throughout all of this time Chris who is always a man of integrity has remained loyal to Warrah and all of its values and principals.

Warrah’s current fulltime Farmer and friend to Chris, Rob Greatholder describes the profound effect that Chris has not just on our organisation but also our landscape:

“Everywhere you look there are pieces of him expressed: in the immaculate twist of the fencing wire, the order and symmetry of the workshop and in the deeply trodden path down to his cottage”.

Chris’s outlook is one of innocence and positivity and, although a man of very few words, he is a deep thinker, occasionally surprising us all with some Zen-like observation that offers a glimpse into the way his mind works. He loves anything mechanical and will become completely absorbed in tinkering and repairing if given the opportunity. His skills and dedication to our farm keep the place running like clockwork. The Warrah Society is truly grateful for all that he does here.

Winners of each of the categories will be announced at the Australia Day 2016 at Bella Vista Farm Park’’ event When: Tuesday 26 January 2016 Where: Bella Vista Farm, Elizabeth Macarthur Drive, Bella Vista Time: Please arrive at 12 noon through Gate 1 and head to the

community stage which will be on your right. Parking: There will be parking onsite. Please follow the directions

of the parking attendants. More information about the Hills Shire Council Australia Day Awards can be found here: http://www.thehills.nsw.gov.au/Upcoming-Events-Activities/ Australia-Day-the-Farm More information about the Warrah Society can be found on our website: www.warrah.org