Recently, the members of the Lane Cove Community Men’s Shed unanimously resolved to honour Ted Donnelly with the title of President Emeritus.
Ted, unfortunately, had to retire for medical reasons from the role of President, a position he has held with distinction at the Lane Cove Community Men’s Shed for many years.
The Lane Cove Community Men’s Shed was established in 1998. It was the first of two “Men’s Sheds” formed as a consequence of the first national health conference dedicated to men held in Australia in 1995.
Ted was a founding member of the Lane Cove Community Men’s Shed and the entire Men’s Shed movement.
Today, Ted is the Longest Serving Men’s Shedder in the World, a title the Men’s Shed movement gave to him.
Ted was heavily involved in the early work on the development of a manual for setting up a Men’s Sheds. That was in 2006. Seventeen years on, Ted’s manual continues to be regarded as the reference standard for establishing Men’s Sheds in Australia and worldwide.
Today, with more than 1,200 Men’s Sheds in operation in Australia, there are more Men’s Sheds in Australia than there are McDonalds restaurants. Internationally, the Men’s Shed movement comprises upward of 2,500 in twelve countries – and it all started in Lane Cove. Indeed, the Lane Cove Community Men’s Shed is generally recognised as the founding shed.
In 2007, Ted established, named, and registered the Australian Men’s Shed Association (AMSA). Ted basically operated AMSA out of his spare bedroom for the first two years after its incorporation. Ted retired from the board of AMSA after twelve years of distinguished service in the positions of Chairman, Secretary and Director.
2013 was a busy year for Ted. On Australia Day 2013, he was awarded an AM and inducted as a Member of the Order of Australia for his work on Men’s Sheds. In the same year, he was declared Lane Cove Citizen of the Year and an inaugural member of the North Shore Community Hall of Fame.
After dedicating more than a quarter of his life to men’s sheds, Ted is affectionately and respectfully known as the Grandfather of Men’s Sheds, a title which he truly deserves. Ted jokingly but proudly says that, as a result, he can claim to have a third of a million grandsons.
Thank you, Ted. Your legacy to the Lane Cove community is a Men’s Shed in which its members spend some 70% of their time making, repairing, modifying, and otherwise crafting wooden furniture, and household and garden articles for residents in the area.
An additional 20% of members’ time is spent on similar activities for schools, childcare centres, sports groups, arts and performing arts groups, Carisbrook Heritage House, and the Lane Cove Council, to mention a few local community groups and organisations.
Read our article here on how the Lane Cove Men’s Shed restored a sulky for Carisbrook Historic House.
Best wishes for your “retirement” Ted.
You can read more about the Men’s Shed in Australia here.
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