Like father, like son...

Lismore's Australia Day ambassador, Olympian Jane Jamieson, with Lismore's Citizen of the Year, Darcy Goodwin.

If it hadn't been for his dad, Darcy Goodwin may never have been named Lismore's Citizen of the Year.

When Darcy was just 11-years-old his father took him on a 40 mile bike ride from their home in Grafton to Woolgoolga, all to help one very ill man and his family.

Darcy watched as his father brought a little happiness into the lives of this family, bringing them food and money, as they couldn't provide for themselves.

It was an experience that still sticks vividly in Darcy's mind and an event that inspired him to start helping homeless and disadvantaged people whenever and wherever he could.

"I still remember the bike ride as a pleasure... we did something practical and real and I'd never felt so fulfilled," Darcy explained.

"This instilled in me a love for humanity. Seeing people in these sorts of situations gives you an appreciation for life. It makes you realise how lucky you are and how easy it is to help someone, so that's what I do."

Darcy today runs a mobile soup kitchen, travelling around Lismore and Nimbin providing homeless and disadvantaged people with a good meal, as well as families with furniture and accommodation.

The idea began back in 1991 when Darcy and his close friend Don Whittaker had the idea of opening a boys refuge. Unable to secure funding for the refuge, Don and Darcy began holding free concerts and food in Nimbin on a Saturday night, with Don providing the entertainment and Darcy providing the food.

Shortly after this began, Don moved to the Gold Coast where he set up a women's refuge while Darcy stayed in the area.

In 1995 Southern Cross Credit Union presented Darcy with an award plus $2000, for his work in Nimbin. He used the money to buy a car and began doing free meals in Little Keen Street on Tuesday nights.

Two years later Darcy expanded again, putting on free meals for University students in Nielsen Street on Thursday nights, along with on-campus lunches on Tuesdays. He was also putting on free meals seven nights a week from a friend's house in Goonellabah, but when they moved away in 1999 the service was forced to close down.

More recently Darcy has been handing out free meals in the Ballina Street Peace Park on Monday nights. All up he feeds between 400 and 800 people each week.

Not one to rest on his laurels, Darcy is now making food parcel and furniture drops to local disadvantaged families as well as taking people shopping and giving disabled people lifts to and from events.

His only motivation for his tireless efforts is the community’s need.

"If I see someone in need, no matter who it is, I act on it immediately," Darcy explained.

"Needy families are needy families and they require help. I love people and I don't like to see anyone needy, so I see it as my duty to make sure that need is met. My motto is 'help the battler and the needy but never the greedy'.”

"I work 18 hours a day, seven days a week and I never get tired or worn out... it's not a long day, it's an exciting enterprise. It is kind of like courtship. When you're in love you never weary or tire from courting. I call what I do each day my courtship with the community."

Story & photo: Terra Sword

One day down, 13 years to go

Marcus Hazelden of South Lismore shows his first day's work at school to his mother Corina and school principal Erwin Bates.

When Marcus Hazelden and 28 other students began their Kindergarten year at South Lismore Public School yesterday, they had a friend in high places.

It was also time to start at a new school for principal Erwin Bates, who may have been there since Monday, but he was just as involved in working out the intricacies of school life.

While Marcus was dealing with making new friends, finding the tuck shop and his big brother in the playground, Erwin, who was principal at Wyrallah for 10 years, was busy trying to remember staff names and working out just how many teachers the school was actually entitled to.

"I can tell you that we have 29 first time students, but we won't have a final figure on enrolments until the end of the week," he said.

That number will determine how many teachers will be at the school.

By home time both principal and student seemed to have made it through the day without a major drama.

"With his brother Owen in Year 3 there has been no problems in making the move from pre-school," Marcus' mother Corina said.

"He's a bit shy but he's been looking forward to it. I think he's made a couple of new friends already."

More than 770,000 students are expected to study in 2225 public schools in NSW in 2001.

Their education will involve 50,000 teachers, 9700 administrative staff and 2400 specialist education officers.

- Dave 'first day' Fawkner