The man behind Opera in the Arboretum

John Greenway was listed as a significant man in the Significant Men of the Central Coast book brought out in 2009 to acknowledge men who had made a difference on the Central Coast.

M Greenway said he often wondered while he worked on organising The Opera in the Arboretum what his mother would have thought of it.

All her life she encouraged her children to play a musical instrument, but to no avail, yet there was John living on the Central Coast coordinating an opera with some of Australia's top singers.

Every year the audience got bigger and every year he said he enjoyed the challenge more.

John was born in Bulawayo, Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe.

His father had arrived in Rhodesia in 1923 from the UK and joined the Rhodesian Police Force.

He was the first traffic cop in Bulawayo and earned a reputation as being a hard man.

However, John said he thought his reputation was more due to the fact that all of a sudden drivers had to obey the rules of the road.

His mother brought the first all-women orchestra to Rhodesia and played in the cafes, hotels and silent movies.

She could play six instruments and was a notable mezzo soprano.

It was from her that John said he learned to enjoy listening to music and singing.

Growing up, Mr Greenway said cycling was his first love.

He represented Rhodesia in track cycling on three occasions and held the South African record for the one mile and Rhodesian records for the five mile and 4000 metres team pursuit.

He migrated to South Africa in 1963 where he undertook a five year apprenticeship as a lithographic printer in Johannesburg.

He met his wife Marijke in 1967 and got married the same year.

They have three children, two daughters and a son.

In 1975 he left the printing trade and started working for his father-in-law as a pastry cook, and then opened his own shop in Krugersdorp, a town west of Johannesburg in 1977.

It was in this year that he joined Lions Club International, his first service organisation.

While in Lions, he served as secretary, president, zone chairman, deputy district chairmen, public relations and cabinet secretary, all positions that he said he enjoyed.

In 1988 he moved with his family to Australia as he said he felt there was no future in South Africa with its apartheid government.

He opened his own cake shop in Castle Hill, Sydney, which was a roaring success from day one.

The money was good but early morning starts, usually 4am, when the ovens were switched on, was a social killer, said Mr Greenway.

Nonetheless he joined the Castle Hill Lions Club, where he also served as secretary and president, but did not get involved at a district level as his business did not give him the time.

He was awarded a Melvin Jones Fellow for his services to Lions Clubs.

While on a brief holiday to the Central Coast in 1997, John and his family visited Pearl Beach on a whim and fell in love with the village.

They purchased an old house that they renovated as owner-builders which they said was an adventure with many highs and lows.

They moved there in 1999, after selling his business and retiring.

It was here that he joined the Rotary Club of Woy Woy, a dynamic and active club.

He served as president in 2003-2004 and was awarded a Paul Harris Fellow in 2006 for his services to the club and for starting the Opera in the Arboretum in Pearl Beach.

The arboretum is in a beautiful bushland setting that lends itself to many events, such as the jazz and opera.

They have donated money from funds raised to the Pearl Beach Rural Fire Service, CanTeen (teenagers living with cancer), WIRES and this year Telstra Child Flight.

Being retired, John said he has had more time to be involved with the local community of Pearl Beach as well as the Peninsula in events such as the Australia Day BBQ at Pearl Beach and the Spike Milligan Festival.

Significant Men of the Central Coast, 2009

Margaret Hardy