Ian Stavely
I have lived in WA for 42 years now, mostly in Perth, but for the past 13 years in the small, but beautiful coastal town of Denmark which is about 430km south of Perth.
I married a West Australian, Moya, 40 years ago and have two great "kids" - Renae (38) who is an oboe player with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra who brought to us a love of classical music and Daniel (34) a horticulturalist, who brought to us the world of native plants. We have 3 grandchildren in Adelaide, so we go there quite often.
After leaving school I was with the mining company Conzinc Rio Tinto ( CRA ) for 7 years and during that time had a transfer to Darwin and another to Perth / Kalgoolie with the exploration division of the company. During my time at CRA I was a committee member and President of the CRA Staff Social Club which had a huge membership and I guess it opened my eyes to the hospitality industry through organising staff social events - the company was very supportive and it could have been a full time job.
I left CRA and was fortunate to land a job with Commodore Motels - initially at the Sandringham Hotel and then with an Opening Operations Team , whereby 4 of us moved around setting up Annabels in Melbourne and then the Chateau Commodore chain of motels in Sydney and Perth. It was a great experience - challenging and demanding, but good fun when you're young. It was in Perth that I met and married Moya. I was being transferred back to Melbourne to be involved with the setting up of the Old Melbourne and the Chateau Melbourne, but we decided to stay in Perth as we were offered the position of assisting in the management of the new West Sands Motor Lodge in West Perth - a suite of mining offices, accommodation and a restaurant, "The Grubstake Room". It was a very successful business and we were involved in that for over 4 years when the career change bug bit me again.
The WA State Govt. decided to open the doors to "mature age" students to do a teaching degree full time at the new Churchlands Teachers' College campus. So, at the ripe old age of 29 I was accepted. College was a fantastic experience for me and upon graduating I went on to teach for the next 25 years which I found to be most rewarding. A couple of highlights for me were being an Advisory Teacher for the NW Regional Office for several years and my 16 years at Floreat Park Primary School where for many years I was the Phys. Ed. and Sports Specialist Teacher, but I basically just loved being a classroom teacher.
We embraced country life when the "sea change" was made and left all our city attitudes behind and have been kept very busy. I worked for 6 years at the Albany Farmers Market with a local honey company and from that came additional work on an asparagus farm and a mushroom farm - all terrific experiences that I would never have found in the city. Moya works for a doctors' surgery in town and for the past three years I have worked part time for "South Coast Woodworks Gallery" - if you are a "woody", have a look at us on (www.southcoastwoodworks.com.au ) It is one of the most recognised wood works galleries in Australia and I often have to pinch myself that I work there. I got into woodturning over 20 years ago and supply local galleries with my work and have an annual exhibition with the Bendigo Bank Southern Art and Craft Trail.
I enjoy good health (touch wood) and have thoroughly enjoyed and valued my working life and life in general and put that down to the fact that I have been very lucky along the way with very supportive employers, wife and family.
I married a West Australian, Moya, 40 years ago and have two great "kids" - Renae (38) who is an oboe player with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra who brought to us a love of classical music and Daniel (34) a horticulturalist, who brought to us the world of native plants. We have 3 grandchildren in Adelaide, so we go there quite often.
After leaving school I was with the mining company Conzinc Rio Tinto ( CRA ) for 7 years and during that time had a transfer to Darwin and another to Perth / Kalgoolie with the exploration division of the company. During my time at CRA I was a committee member and President of the CRA Staff Social Club which had a huge membership and I guess it opened my eyes to the hospitality industry through organising staff social events - the company was very supportive and it could have been a full time job.
I left CRA and was fortunate to land a job with Commodore Motels - initially at the Sandringham Hotel and then with an Opening Operations Team , whereby 4 of us moved around setting up Annabels in Melbourne and then the Chateau Commodore chain of motels in Sydney and Perth. It was a great experience - challenging and demanding, but good fun when you're young. It was in Perth that I met and married Moya. I was being transferred back to Melbourne to be involved with the setting up of the Old Melbourne and the Chateau Melbourne, but we decided to stay in Perth as we were offered the position of assisting in the management of the new West Sands Motor Lodge in West Perth - a suite of mining offices, accommodation and a restaurant, "The Grubstake Room". It was a very successful business and we were involved in that for over 4 years when the career change bug bit me again.
The WA State Govt. decided to open the doors to "mature age" students to do a teaching degree full time at the new Churchlands Teachers' College campus. So, at the ripe old age of 29 I was accepted. College was a fantastic experience for me and upon graduating I went on to teach for the next 25 years which I found to be most rewarding. A couple of highlights for me were being an Advisory Teacher for the NW Regional Office for several years and my 16 years at Floreat Park Primary School where for many years I was the Phys. Ed. and Sports Specialist Teacher, but I basically just loved being a classroom teacher.
We embraced country life when the "sea change" was made and left all our city attitudes behind and have been kept very busy. I worked for 6 years at the Albany Farmers Market with a local honey company and from that came additional work on an asparagus farm and a mushroom farm - all terrific experiences that I would never have found in the city. Moya works for a doctors' surgery in town and for the past three years I have worked part time for "South Coast Woodworks Gallery" - if you are a "woody", have a look at us on (www.southcoastwoodworks.com.au ) It is one of the most recognised wood works galleries in Australia and I often have to pinch myself that I work there. I got into woodturning over 20 years ago and supply local galleries with my work and have an annual exhibition with the Bendigo Bank Southern Art and Craft Trail.
I enjoy good health (touch wood) and have thoroughly enjoyed and valued my working life and life in general and put that down to the fact that I have been very lucky along the way with very supportive employers, wife and family.
