Faye Ormandy was the former Oamaru Whitestone Civic Trust Heritage Co-ordinator for 15 years, in a paid role and volunteer. Oamaru’s being able to celebrate its global status as a town of heritage attractions owes a great deal to Faye and the hours, she has put into championing the Victorian Precinct, making it the great community asset and icon that it is today.
The dedication Faye has given the above organisation is insurmountable, as is her hard work with helping organise many an event that was happening in the Precinct. Faye was a key part of the heritage ambassadors that met the bus tours week after week and the 100s of school visits and visitors that toured the Precinct. A born diplomat, she handled the various views around the Oamaru Whitestone Civic Trust Board table extremely well and retained the confidence of all. Faye had great organisational skills, especially around the Network Waitaki Victorian Fete, pulling this event together year after year with minimum fuss.
Her other passion is Vanished World Centre in Duntroon, when in 2017 she joined the Geopark Steering Group and with her governance and management experience she was an obvious candidate because of her work over many years with the Oamaru Whitestone Civic Trust. The purpose of this group was to explore the possibility of creating a Waitaki Geopark with Vanished World at its core.
Faye with her experience was an obvious candidate to join the Geopark Steering Group, having grown up in the Duntroon community, she knew many of the locals and was keen to get involved. It was not long before she was co-opted onto the Vanished World Committee, she took on the role of treasurer for the two years and is now in the Chairwomen’s role. She is one of those people who sees a need and steps up to the challenge.
Vanished World celebrated its Twentieth Anniversary last year and needless to say Faye planned the Anniversary Celebrations which included all the key personnel who have worked over the years. Everyone felt included and really appreciated. This event epitomises her own contribution to community and her ability to recognise and celebrate the contributions of others.
Currently Faye not only leads the governance of Vanished World but plays an active role in management and is regularly ‘on duty’ at the Vanished World Centre in Duntroon.
Faye’s other recent involvements have included secretary and a Board member of the Waitaki Tourism Association, and she volunteered to help to reopen Whitestone City. She is also currently the Waitaki Power Trust Secretary in a paid role and has been since 2002.
She remembers back to when she was living in Albury in NSW as a young Mum and being asked to train as a leader for a parent organisation and door knocking to get Albury’s first woman councillor elected. Her children played ‘going to meetings’ not ‘shops’ when they were little! Returning to the Waitaki District and involvement with the Kakanui Community Care group and the skills learned through Waitaki Communicators gave her the confidence to put her hand up for other roles.
Although she is being recognised with this award, Faye says none of what she does could be done without the help and support of everyone else in these organisations and feels privileged to have worked with some amazing people and on some amazing projects.
Faye with her husband Graeme is now retired in Oamaru, they have three adult children and seven grandchildren. Faye has come from a family of volunteers which is in her DNA. She has been described as very loyal, supportive, dependable, and diplomatic! Faye, Thank you for your continued contribution to the Waitaki Community and making this place richer for your service.