2021 Australia Day Award - Citizen of the Year
Presented to Peter Burk
Peter is first and foremost a family man - married to Trudy with two children, Caitlin and Lauren.
He has worked in the same business since completing his apprenticeship. His driving principle in business is to excel in customer service. As a result, the business he and Trudy took on some 25 years or so ago, continues to grow and prosper.
During his children’s school years, Peter was always a strong supporter of their schools and continued that support for many years after they had completed their education.
Peter is a generous supporter of the community in many ways. He is a long-term sponsor of the Latrobe Football Club and the Latrobe Bowls and Community Club and gives generously to many other local organisations and causes.
As a member of the Lions Club of Latrobe, Peter became a dab hand at making fairy floss at many school fundraising activities; has spent many hours cooking chips and manning the barbecue at the Lions Speedway Canteen and is constantly the first to arrive and the last to leave, never leaving until all the work was done. He could be seen on the footy gates, helping out on Grand Final day in the food van, helping the Latrobe Apex Club with their Cement Australia barbecue and, at their Truly Tasmanian Craft Fair - always willing to lend a hand. It is worthy of note that even during a time of his own health issues, Peter still supported others in the community, always seeing others as worse off than himself.
Peter was awarded the Lions International Melvin Jones Fellowship by the Lions Club of Latrobe for his outstanding service to the Community and to the Latrobe Lions Club. In Lions, Peter served as Vice President, held two terms as President, is a staunch supporter of Relay for Life and was their Relay for Life Captain for many years. He was on the Speedway Canteen committee and was an excellent Tail Twister, bringing a lot of fun to the role. He also organised many social activities including ten pin bowling and mini golf.
His generous support of family and friends, and indeed the wider community, is perhaps not so well known. Peter has been known to turn up with his lawn mower and whipper snipper to help someone in need simply by observing the need rather than being asked for this support.
In times of crisis, such as the aftermath of the disastrous 2016 floods and more recently during the worst of the COVID 19 shutdown, he quietly and with-out fanfare supported many in our community.
As if that wasn’t enough to occupy his time, Peter has been Secretary of the Northwest Hound Owners association for many years but, in the few hours he occasionally allows himself an indulgence, is a keen fisherman, and enjoys the odd weekend at the family shack at Brady’s Lake.
Peter is also an enthusiastic member of Devonport Ten pin bowling and more recently has become involved with the Latrobe Bowls Corporate challenge.