Reverend Trevor Leggott has been awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in the Australia Day 2019 Honours List, and can now add the letters OAM to his name.
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Trevor received the honour for his service to the Indigenous community, in particular for his work as general director for Australian Indigenous Ministries (AIM) for 21 years.
“It’s a bit of a shock, actually, and very humbling. I feel very privileged to be part of a rather exclusive group. It’s been wonderful to contemplate,” Trevor said.
Trevor and his wife Pamela have been living at Wherrol Flat for the past seven years, but first moved to the Manning Valley in the late 1970s, then living at Burrell Creek.
It was while living at Burrell Creek that Trevor and Pamela became friends with Jim Cromarty, and it’s from there that Trevor came to be ordained as a Presbyterian Church of Eastern Australia (PCEA) minister and managing AIM.
“Jim trained for the ministry just before me as a mature aged guy, and then went into a church at Raymond Terrace,” Trevor said.
“When we (Trevor and Pam) went to Bible College, we studied down at Port Stephens and we went to that church, not because of any theological conviction, but because we knew him and our kids knew each other.
It’s a bit of a shock, actually, and very humbling. I feel very privileged to be part of a rather exclusive group. It’s been wonderful to contemplate.
“But when we got involved, we thought this felt like home. It was a spiritual home for us and we were growing and next thing I’m elected as a deacon, then I’m elected as an elder, and Jim encouraged me to apply for the ministry.”
Trevor was ordained in 1989 and was called to establish a new congregation in the Melbourne suburb of Narre Warren.
In 1992 Trevor and Pam moved to Armidale to minister to a congregation, and it was there Trevor became involved with the local Indigenous community.
“When I was in Armidale I had Aboriginal neighbours and got to know some of the needs amongst the folk there,” Trevor said.
“Our church was looking to get involved in Aboriginal ministry in the New England area. It was through those connections; one thing led to another.
“And then, amazingly to me, I see it as the Lord’s leading that I ended up as the director of AIM. I thought I’d be there four or five years and then go back into pastoral ministry, but that didn’t happen!”
AIM began life as a Christian missionary organisation in 1905 and was originally called the Aborigines Inland Mission.
When Trevor was called to take on the role of general director of AIM, he sought to redress a century of paternalistic attitudes and hand over leadership of the Aboriginal ministries to the Indigenous people.
“AIM, after almost 100 years, really needed a revitalising outreach sort of thing, so I took on the role,” Trevor explained.
And then, amazingly to me, I see it as the Lord’s leading that I ended up as the director of AIM. I thought I’d be there four or five years and then go back into pastoral ministry, but that didn’t happen!
“I was in the role for some time and we had some senior missionaries retiring after 30 years’ service, and my goal, I thought, would be to transition leadership to the local Aboriginal people, and it was happening really slowly.
“I thought we need to be doing more in training up leaders and making them less dependent on our culture. Because as I looked at it what we’ve done is create six generations of dependence and I really wanted to try and instigate programs and things to enable these guys to do that themselves.
“In terms of what was probably an indication of my goal was that when I retired, I was replaced for the first time ever by an Aboriginal man. That was lovely. And by and by, they’re taking more responsibility and looking after their own affairs. And that’s good.
“That’s what I would see as my biggest role in the 20 years, was to institute training programs to equip local people to look after their own affairs,” Trevor said.
One thing I don’t want to be in retirement is a grey nomad! I go home and put my feet in the creek.
Trevor only retired in December 2018, but has not retired from his ministerial duties.
He regularly preaches in Taree, helps out preaching at the Wingham Uniting Church, is Clerk of his Church Synod, and helps his son-in-law run the national administrative office of the PCEA from the Presbyterian Church building in Tinonee.
What he is looking forward to in his retirement, however, is staying put and spending time with his grandchildren and great grandchildren. His 21 years with AIM meant constant travel to remote communities all over Australia, often for a fortnight at a time.
“I was away quite a lot. Probably at least a quarter of the year,” Trevor said.
“One thing I don’t want to be in retirement is a grey nomad! I go home and put my feet in the creek.”
Right now, Trevor is still pondering the ‘why’ of receiving an OAM.
“I don’t know what it means - it’s all a bit foreign to me!” he said.
Julia Driscoll
Julia Driscoll has worked as a journalist for the Wingham Chronicle and Manning River Times for seven years. She values the deep connection with community that being a rural and regional journalist brings. Career highlights have involved environmental stories - bringing the plight of the little known endangered Manning River helmeted turtle to the attention of the public, resulting in wide-spread knowledge in the community and conservation action; and breaking the news of the Manning River ceasing to run for the first time in recorded history.
Julia Driscoll has worked as a journalist for the Wingham Chronicle and Manning River Times for seven years. She values the deep connection with community that being a rural and regional journalist brings. Career highlights have involved environmental stories - bringing the plight of the little known endangered Manning River helmeted turtle to the attention of the public, resulting in wide-spread knowledge in the community and conservation action; and breaking the news of the Manning River ceasing to run for the first time in recorded history.
