If you have ever been to Carols in the Park in Ocean Grove, Jon Mamonski was there making sure everything you heard was done just right.
Mr Mamonski has been the night’s creative director since 2004 and he is the one who makes sure the show that you see on stage runs perfectly. He was also instrumental in getting the pavilion built at Ocean Grove Park in 2015. He was awarded an OAM on Monday for service to the community.
“Back in 2004 we were running it (Carols) on the back of a semi trailer,” he says.
“The park always had permission to build a pavilion, but it was going to cost $1 million. We’ve never really had a gathering place for the community since the town hall burned down in the 1960s.
“Colin Atkins and I worked hard to get it done. We raised $100,000, the state government gave us $500,000 and that forced council to give us the rest.”
Mr Mamonski was creative director of the Geelong Gala Festival from 2008 to 2018 and founding chair of Ocean Grove Connected Communities since 2008.
Mr Mamonski is a life member of Bethany and was director and chair of Bethany Kindergarten Services from 2017 to 2020 and board member of Bethany Community Services from 2011 to 2020.
Mr Mamonski was deputy chair and general manager of Geelong Symphony Orchestra from 2015 to 2019.
Growing up in Devonport, Tasmania, Mr Mamonski has called Ocean Grove home for the past 22 years.
“I grew up around a lot of community volunteers and they inspired me and they were some of the happiest people I know,” he says.
“Serving the public was something I was very happy to do.
“I’m humbled and grateful, but for me it’s as much a testament to the brilliant army of volunteers who work in Geelong and the Bellarine.
“We are so fortunate that we have so many volunteers that keep the place going.”
