THE message from Singleton’s Australia Day Ambassador Ian Bailey was that Singleton, as a community, punches way above its weight.
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Dr Bailey OAM, who was born and educated in Singleton, told the audience at the Australia Day ceremony at the Civic Centre that he was immensely proud to be Australian but prouder still to be from and part of the Singleton community.
When he completed his schooling at Singleton High School, Dr Bailey attended Sydney University where he attained a Bachelor of Medicine with first class honours.
He trained at Royal Price Alfred Hospital (RPA) as a cardiologist and, in 1975, was awarded a post-doctoral fellowship to John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, USA.
He returned to Australia and continued to work at the RPA and became well-known as the late Kerry Packer’s cardiologist.
Today, he is semi-retired on his family’s grazing property Greylands, Goorangoola.
“For a community of 23,000, this town punches way above its weight,” Dr Bailey said.
He then listed three examples of how Singleton achieved so much for the nation.
First, the Singleton Army base which provided security for our nation; second, the massive wealth generated for the country by the mining industry; and, third, the power generated by Liddell and Bayswater power stations that provide our electricity.
Dr Bailey added that Singleton as a community was also very adept at overcoming disaster and adversity.
“The first disaster occurred in February 1955 when the town was declared a national disaster area due the severity of the flooding from the Hunter River,” he said.
“I thought at the time I was in mortal danger because my family was living at 29 York Street – my father was stuck on the property at Goorangoola so I was the man of the house aged only 10 years.
“My mother, sister Lorna, aunt and cousin were trapped for two days and two very dark nights sitting on a wardrobe in that house clinging together and staying awake to ensure no one feel off the wardrobe into the flood waters.
“I eventually got down and waded thought the water to the kitchen and got a knife and cut a hole in the ceiling thinking that would be our escape route when we were found by local rescuers and taken out by boat.”
Dr Bailey said the Singleton Army moved into town when the flood waters receded and helped to clean the town.
“Many people thought that was the end of Singleton but that was not the case as today we live in a very vibrant and resilient community,” he said.
“Singleton also survived the December 1996 hailstorm when glass, tin and tiles throughout the town were shattered.”
He also expects Singleton will survive the current downturn in the mining industry.