Congratulations to Gladstone Port Curtis's Ian Rayment on more than three decades of community and international service.

At our weekly Monday night meeting, we had the absolute pleasure of celebrating treasured member Ian Rayment’s 32nd Rotary anniversary.

Having first joined Rotary on 8 July 1991, Ian has been active member of Rotary Club of Gladstone–Port Curtis for over three decades.

Ian was kind enough to share a trip down memory lane with the club recently: below is a very short snapshot of his highly engaging ‘Me Talk’.

As a young boy in the 1950s, Ian grew up in the Australian outback on a remote property in Jundah, west of Longreach with his family.

As was his family tradition, at 10 years of age, Ian left the family property to attend boarding school at Rockhampton Grammar, some 500km away.

Post graduating, he has had an extraordinary life filled with a phenomenal variety of life and work experiences.

In 1968, Ian met the love of his life, Marilyn, while attending a dance in the outback Queensland town of Jundah. They became pen pals and haven’t looked back, taking on the journey of life together.

Four years after their first encounter, they married and made the decision to move to the big smoke, Calliope, settle down and raise their three children, while starting Rayment Backhoe Hire.

At a glimpse, Ian’s working range of experiences are from wool shearing, contract mustering to leaving the land and working within the construction industry as Gladstone developed in the 1980s. 

He started in the construction industry as a self-employed Backhoe Operator and with his wife grew Rayment Backhoe Hire into a well-known and reputable company. 

Ian’s work life has been as rewarding as it has been varied; forever changing and adapting to the needs of the community.

To add to his 32-year Rotary anniversary, Ian and Marnie look forward to celebrating 50 years of wedded bliss next year – what an achievement!

While his life achievements are far too many to be listed here, some of the highlights include:

• inducted with Marilyn into the Gladstone Engineering Alliance Hall of Fame
  
• multiple Best in Business and Rotary recognition Awards;
  
• owner of an award-winning company Rayment Excavations;
  
• Year of Presidency of Rotary.
  

Despite his multitude of achievements and numerous public recognitions, Ian remains decidedly grounded and incredibly humble.

As the famous Australian saying goes - You can take the man out of the outback, but you can’t take the outback out of the man!!

Huge congratulations, Ian, from all of us in D9560!