Laverton resident and Hobsons Bay SES unit controller Craig MacCallum says he finds peace sitting by the sea and watching the world go by. He speaks with Goya Dmytryshchak.
What’s your connection to Hobsons Bay?
I was born and bred in Williamstown. We first lived in Aitken Street. We moved to Altona at Christmas, 1962. I’ve been in Laverton about 15 years. I’m a foundation member of the Hobsons Bay SES unit, so I’ve been there 33 years – we started in 1983.
What do you like about Laverton?
It’s fairly quiet. The area certainly is upgrading. There’s a lot of old houses that were from the RAAF Base. I actually live in one of the former RAAF houses. Obviously, a lot of the older community has probably moved out and there’s a lot more younger families in the area. It’s very quiet and it’s progressing.
What would you change about it?
At the moment, nothing. The only issue probably I find on the street that I live in is the traffic. A lot of the people – I suppose you’d call it the hoon element – don’t obey the road laws and turn the street into a racetrack … a bit unfortunate when you’ve got quite a lot of children and adults, over at the secondary school on my street.
What’s your favourite cafe or eatery?
To be truthful I don’t really frequent many restaurants. I don’t actually have a favourite eatery – home is probably about the main.
Why did you get involved in volunteering with the SES?
Originally, I first joined the Altona Apex club. Then, after we had that big storm in Altona (in 1982) and they decided to form an SES unit, I thought it would be something interesting to get involved in. I’ve become fairly involved, obviously, being a foundation member and now the actual controller of the unit. Over the years, the interest has kept me there. In the big storm in 1982, a lady was killed. It was down in Pier Street and one of the large trees fell over and crushed her car.
What’s your fondest memory growing up in Hobsons Bay?
When I was younger, I always used to like going down to the piers and watching the boats. I always find it quite peaceful enjoyment, to just sit and watch the world go by.
