Moree’s Penny Boydell, Crooble’s Don Quast and Bellata’s Brian Nairn were recently announced as the three finalists in the competition which celebrates local legends from around the region as part of McGregor Gourlay’s 120 year celebrations.

The Local Legends competition is all about giving back to those people who support their community, with the ultimate winner to receive $5,000 to donate to a local charity or group of their choice.

“The local legends campaign is about recognising those people who are the backbone of the community, who’ve helped us become who we are,” general manager Josh McGregor said. 

McGregor Gourlay encourages the public to support their favourite local legend by liking, sharing and commenting on the videos launched on McGregor Gourlay’s Facebook page, by midnight Sunday, November 5. The winner will be announced later this month.

The three finalists in McGregor Gourlay’s Local Legends competition each have one thing in common – a love for their local communities.

Brian Nairn has lived in Bellata for more than 50 years, having moved there with his wife in 1965.

Over this time, Brian has been heavily involved in the Bellata community, particularly the Bellata Golf Club where he’s been a familiar face for the past 52 years and the Bellata Fire Brigade for which he’s one of the longest serving members.

“In 1965 I joined the Bellata Golf Club and I was a volunteer from then on,” he said.

“I was five years as an ordinary member and then they got me on the board of directors and I’ve been on the board of directors ever since.

“I do all the mowing for the course; 50 acres has to be mown up there.”

The 82-year-old still owns and operates his cotton and grain truck carting business and is known for giving it his all.

Brian is a man of pride; for his town, the Fire Brigade, the Golf Club, his family, his truck and his guitar.

He said he was honoured to be named a Local Legends finalist.

“I feel quite proud of it, it’s been a pleasure being involved in the whole process,” he said.

If he was to win the Local Legends competition, he will donate the money to improving the kitchen at the Bellata Memorial Hall.

“Everyone is proud of [the hall] and they want to keep it in good order for anyone that wants to make use of it,” he said.

“If we can improve the kitchen it will bring more people to make use of the hall.”

Don Quast has been living in Crooble since 1957 and over the past 60 years has become a pillar of the Crooble, Croppa Creek and Moree communities.

The retired farmer is a kind-hearted man with a big smile and endless passion for family, farming, the Crooble community and innovation in agriculture.

“When I got to Crooble, the only experience I had was being a fairly practical young engineer, learning everything possible I could,” he said.

“In Moira’s case, I married a purely country girl that knew everything about soil. When we first moved to Crooble, the wheat boom was just starting. Prior to that, Crooble was basically cattle-fattening.

“We had to make equipment to suit the farming technique that we needed to keep going because it wasn’t available.”

Over the years, Don has been involved in upgrading the Crooble Hall, the Crooble silo and was captain of the Crooble Fire Brigade for about 30 years.

More recently, he’s been an active member of Moree Men’s Shed, which is his chosen charity should he win the Local Legends competition.

“The men’s shed is so special because you acquire a friendship with other people, with other men and find something to occupy themselves and benefit the community in the work and effort they do for the cancer support group and organisations they help,” he said.

“I like to come here because I can communicate with other men.”

Penny Boydell has grown up in Moree and has always been passionate about giving back to the local community.

“Volunteering’s been a family tradition and when you’ve lived in a small community as long as we have, it’s just a natural pathway for you to continue on giving back to your community and trying to make it a better place for the next generation,” she said.

“It’s very important in small communities for people to be volunteers to keep your community going and you make wonderful friends of all ages and you learn so much.”

Penny currently volunteers with Moree Women’s Refuge Ngala House, Meals on Wheels, Moree Hospital Auxiliary, Fairview Retirement Village and Moree Town and Country Club, which she would like to donate to if she is to become the Local Legend winner.

“If we ever do raise enough money to do the next stage of the Town and Country redevelopment, it will assure us of a safe place,” she said.

“The men’s bathroom has a lot of spots where a black snake could find a lovely home.”