Karen Carmody
By Peter Russell
Karen was born at the Hutchinson Hospital Gawler on the 18th of June 1966, belonging to the 5th generation of Carmodys to live in Gawler. Her family name traces to a pair of Irish immigrants, Patrick (a policeman) and Mary, who arrived in 1864 on the Northumberland, and took up residence in the growing town north of Adelaide. Gawler had a strong Catholic community, as reflected today in the magnificent St Peter & St Paul’s Roman Catholic Church that graces Porter Street in Church Hill. The Catholics did their fair share to increase Gawler’s population, with Karen being the 6th child of 10 children.
Karen and her family lived on Redbanks Road Willaston, remembering it as a fairly quiet road where a football could be kicked, bicycles could be easily ridden or roller-skates could be used. Her mother once called for her to shut the front gates as a neighbour moved his sheep from one yard to the next. Karen’s father Gerald worked in Local Government as the Health Inspector and Building Surveyor for Gawler Town Council and for a short period was Acting Town Clerk, while her mother Lynette worked in the Gawler branch of the Commonwealth Bank. Both of her parents attended Gawler High School.
Karen was active in the church youth group, and played sports for St Josephs in Gawler including netball, table tennis, swimming and tennis. Karen excelled at Irish dancing, winning a medal in the Kapunda country competition in 1977.
Karen attended St Brigid’s Primary School (1971-1978), and when a Catholic secondary school was built in Salisbury, she was the first of her siblings to attend a private high school. Karen attended Thomas More College (1979-1983) by catching the train to and from the school each day. She recalls one warm October day, after much rain the water had flooded the subway at the Gawler Railway Station. Not to be deterred from getting home, she and her friend swam through, arriving safely at the other side, and were dry by the time they walked home to Willaston. While at school she worked part-time in the local Toms Supermarket (now occupied by Get A Bargain).
After high school she had a variety of jobs including working for the RSPCA, and Harris Scarfe in Rundle Mall (which ended when the trains went on strike and she couldn’t get to Adelaide), and she then became a sewing machinist with Levis.
Karen married David Newton in 1986, and had two sons, Adam in 1989 and James in 1992, both born at the Hutchinson Hospital and continuing the Gawler Carmody line into the next generation. For most of the time she stayed at home with her growing children until they both started school, but did however study to gain her Certificate in Real Estate from 1992 to 1994. During this time she also hand-painted garden statues and ornaments for a local small business.
In 1994 Karen became a volunteer for Gawler Primary School, assisting in the classroom and contributing to the Learning Assistance Program. She was a member of the School Governing Council, the Chairperson of the school’s Fundraising Committee, and a core member of the Drug Strategy Team. During this time the new buildings were approved securing Gawler Primary’s future within the Education Department. Karen also became the canteen manager until 2001.
Her lifelong connection with the local council led to her volunteering with the Community Health Nurse administering immunisation to high school children, and in the Library. She gained employment with Gawler Council in 2000, working in Customer Service areas, Records Management, and the Library, where she is still employed. She currently is the Library’s History Support Officer and uses her knowledge of Gawler’s history daily, as well as organising Interlibrary Loans and serving customers on the Service Desk.
Karen developed a strong interest in justice and policing. She was appointed an Instructor for the Crawford (later the Barossa) Police Ranger Unit in 2000, working with local young people aged from 12 to 18, who were interested in making a contribution to society while learning policing skills, in a disciplined environment. She helped organised these young people in volunteering and community service, the participation in the Duke of Edinburgh Award, marching in the Adelaide ANZAC parade and the Youth Night Vigil guarding the Cenotaph, and assisting at the Gawler Blue Light Discos. She ran camps and helped instruct Rangers in police drill, communications, drug awareness, preserving crime scenes, just to name a few. Many young men and women in Gawler have benefited from their association with Karen and the community has been enriched by their efforts.
Karen’s long connection to Gawler Council continues with her second marriage to Peter Russell in 2006, who moved to Gawler with his son Allen following their wedding. In November of the same year, Peter was elected as an Area Councillor to Gawler Council. Karen reverted to her maiden name.
Karen was appointed a Justice of the Peace in 2006, and studied for her Certificate in Justice Studies. She recently completed her studies in Investigative Services, leading to Government Statutory Regulations and Compliance, and hopes to begin a small business offering private investigation and contractual government investigation.
Karen’s other passion over the years has been her drawing and painting. Her sketch of the Gawler Institute was used on the cover of the Community Directory in 2006, and one of her paintings won best art exhibit in show at the 2007 Gawler Show. Karen also uses her creative skills in developing many of the library displays throughout the year to honour the people of Gawler or highlight an aspect of Gawler’s history.
Karen has lived in Gawler for 42 years, in an assortment of homes and areas. In 2005 Karen and her husband Peter took a world holiday in which they travelled through 14 countries including Russia, with a focus on comparing towns of similar size and demographics as Gawler. Through this experience she was able to get a better understanding of various community and cultural environments and the challenges they present. Karen hopes to one day represent her fellow Gawler citizens in fostering the town’s successful future.
|
