General News
25 January, 2025
Citizen of the Year - Ian Bartels - Tiger will sort it out
Never one to seek the limelight, Ian is a model citizen who thoroughly deserves recognition for his enormous contribution to his community. Ian has lived his life in Pyramid Hill, and even after his official retirement as an electrician, he has...
Never one to seek the limelight, Ian is a model citizen who thoroughly deserves recognition
for his enormous contribution to his community.
Ian has lived his life in Pyramid Hill, and even after his official retirement as an electrician, he
has continued to serve his community.
Ian has always gone about his day quietly, doing what he sees needs to be done or
responding promptly to requests.
THERE are a couple of theories to Ian Bartels’ nickname of Tiger.
One could e his encounters crawling underneath house floors with a venomous snake slithering past. Or, maybe, his tenacious capacity to jump in and get things done without delay.
The Pyramid Hill legend honoured with this year’s Loddon Shire Citizen of the Year award has retained that desire to be part of the community since learning to play tennis almost eight decades ago.
He went on to water, mow and mark the town’s lawn courts, coach juniors in the morning and then play in the afternoon.
“I’d start at 5am ... you got involved and made things work properly,” said Ian who served a term on the former Gordon Shire Council.
“Community means you have a happy life and my nickname came because people believed I could sort things out.
We’ve always had good volunteers in Pyramid Hill and with equal enthusiasm. When we wanted lighting at the swimming pool we all worked for that and had big switch-on ceremony.”
Ian was president of the swimming club, played golf and of course wore the Pyramid Hill jumper on the football field.
“There was always a great battle against Leitchville when things could get lively. I was taught to look after myself,” he chuckled.
Caring for the community has been at the heart of Ian’s contributions.
His time on the former bush nursing hospital board, many years as president, remains a special time. Although now vacant for five years, Ian still mows and waters the former aged care hostel grounds.
A keen amateur photographer, a wall at the home he and wife Helen have lived in for 66 years is adorned with photographs of wedge-tailed eagles.
Ian says he would follow the life of the birds from hatching to flight. And taking food to help them survive the first weeks of life.
Ian’s award recognises what people have seen and the many unsung acts - fixing pumps and attending to electrical issues for local sporting groups, such as golf, bowls and Pyramid Hill’s Mitchell Park, mowing lawns for older residents and ensuring water is available for wildlife at The Hill,
It was Ian who would keep the Pyramid Hill store clock going for many years and at numerous town events, helping set up the PA systems.
Ian Bartels left school at 13, was offered two apprentices and chose to start his electrical career at the Pyramid Hill power station, heading to Melbourne for training blocks and earning his full trade ticket. “I was awarded the B Grade apprentice of the year for electrical mechanics. The prize? A set of tools.”
There is hardly an organisation in Pyramid Hill that Ian has not helped, an original member of the pipe band and his latter-day sporting pursuit of lawn bowls.
Wife Helen said: “He always looks to be busy. On the two hottest days last week he oiled our deck.”
Ian says being part of the community helps make Australia great. “We’re still a great country and everyone is welcome. That’s why we celebrate January 26.”