Donald and Jennifer Rickerby
A Bacchus Marsh couple have each been awarded Order of Australia Medals for service to horticulture.
Donald and Jennifer Rickerby have been married for 60 years, and have dedicated a great portion of that time together dedicated to horticulture.
The Rickerby’s became involved in the Royal Horticultural Society of Victoria in the 1970s.
Mr Rickerby is a past society president and Ms Rickerby has been secretary since 2008.
The pair work in a variety of volunteer roles together including as display organisers for the Melbourne International Flower Shows Great Hanging Basket Competition, members of the Australian Horticultural Judges’ Association, roles in the Royal South Street Society, and volunteers at the Ballarat Lyric theatre.
The pair have also assisted in disaster relief through the Loddon Region flood recovery effort in 2011, and the Royal Horticultural Society of Victoria, Disaster Fund in 2012.
Ms Rickerby said the couple are “joined at the hip”.
“We’ve done it all together,” she said.
Mr Rickerby said the couple are “very pleased someone thought to say ‘well done’”.
“Like many volunteers we live and breathe it … I don’t know if it’s passion or mania.”
He said the pairs “prime focus” through the society is to support and give an environment for other people and groups to succeed.
“Gardening is a very positive thing, during COVID gardening was a real bright spot, people found something they could do while locked up, and it’s still going. People are pretty enthused, and we want to keep that up.”
