Autumn 2020 - Page 1
Freemasons Victoria News
Meet Richard Elkington ■ Freemasons Victoria’s incoming Grand Master, Richard Elkington, is never short of a smile and a laugh with the people that he meets. But that happiness shows most when he is in the company of Kathleen, a retired Nursing Sister, his wife of 47 years. Richard and Kathleen’s strong partnership goes back to the days around 1973 when he was a Cadet Engineer with the State Electricity Commission, and Kathleen had just graduated in nursing. She went on to become Director of Nursing at Brookfield Park Nursing Home at Traralgon, and retired in 2009. Kathleen’s interests include Rotary (at Morwell), Traralgon Bridge Club, handcrafts gardening and reading. The couple have two sons, Jeremy and Andrew, both school teachers, and they have three grandchildren. Jeremy, 42, Head of Art at Traralgon Secondary College, is married to Sally, and they have three children: Liam, 15; Zoe, 13; and Harrison, 11. Richard and Kathleen enjoy nothing more than when the grandchildren come to stay at their Traralgon home. Andrew, 40, works at teaching Psychology at Dandenong. He is married to Zoe. Andrew followed his father into Freemasonry, and this year they joined the Shriners together. Richard Elkington is set to be installed as Grand Master of Freemasons Victoria, although the ceremony will be abbreviated because of the Coronavirus emergency. Richard has a passion for Freemasonry. It’s not hard to see. He was initiated at
● Richard and Kathleen Elkington vironment at Loy Yang More than anything, Richard looks forward Power (now AGL Loy Yang) to visiting Lodges across the state, and occupied a senior Human and meeting with Masons face-to-face. Resource Management post. Other positions included served as its Worshipful Mas- had a quick return to ScotGeneral Manager, Power and ter in 1986-87, and as its Sec- land in 1953 for two years. retary until 1996. Richard was educated in Environment; and Executive Wor. Bro. Elkington was Gippsland, and graduated in General Manager, People and Foundation Master of Lodge Mechanical Egineering in Positioning. Richard has a genuine inCornucopia at Warragul in 1971. He had commenced 2004. work in the Latrobe Valley terest in people. Many of his community Grand Lodge duties beck- power stations in December centred on oned, with him as Junior 1970, where he was a Cadet interests Grand Warden in 2015, Presi- Engineer, first at the Mel- Gippsland. He became a dent of the Board of General bourne headquarters and then broadcaster on Gippsland Community Radio. He bePurposes in 2016-17, and Yallourn Power Station. serving as Deputy Grand He undertook his first se- came its Chair for two sepaMaster in 2018-19. nior management position as rate terms, each of two years. He was Treasurer of the But there is more to Rich- Operations Manager at Mid Gippsland Football ard than Freemasonry. He has Yallourn Power Station. a keen interest in community When the enrgy sector was League, being honoured with service. corporatised, then privatised, life membership. A love of the stage saw He was born in Yallourn in the early 1990s, Richard as in November 1950, of Scot- appointed as Manager of him perform with the Latrobe tish immigrant parents. They Corporate Relations and En- Light Opera Society.