A LEGACY SET IN STONE

Recent Order of Australia awardee Bill Lowis (right) with wife Trish (left) and daughter Kirsten (centre). Photo credit: Jacob Casha‍A lifetime spent simply “doing his bit” has seen William “Bill” Lowis awarded an Order of Australia in the King’s Birthday Honours this month. The former mayor says the award, more than 60 years after his first national recognition, brings his journey full circle.‍Former Burdekin Mayor’s Lifelong Service Earns National Honour A lifetime of unfaltering dedication to his beloved hometown has culminated in an Order of Australia award for Home Hill local William “Bill” Lowis. The honour comes almost 60 years after his first Governor-General's Award in the Royal Australian Navy, tying a perfect bow on more than half a century of service to the community he calls home. “It just felt like a full circle moment,” said Mr Lowis. The former Burdekin Mayor was listed alongside 141 other Queenslanders on the King’s Birthday Honours List earlier this month, recognised for his “service to local government, and to the community of the Burdekin Shire.” Mr Lowis said he was “totally surprised” by the recognition, but described it as a proud moment. He said that while the recognition was satisfying, it was never the motivation. “It’s just about being part of the community,” Mr Lowis said. “We’ve raised our family here, and I’ve just taken part in what I can to keep the town itself, Home Hill, and the Burdekin district in a wider sense, going.” Born in Home Hill Hospital in the 1940s, Mr Lowis has called the Burdekin home for nearly eight decades. After a 12-year stint in New South Wales with the Navy, Mr Lowis returned to the Burdekin where he built a career as a builder, educator, water and environmental leader, and community volunteer. He spent 18 years as General Manager of the South Burdekin Water Board, was a foundation member of Burdekin Landcare, and contributed across an array of organisations including Rotary, the SES, Rural Fire Service and the RSL. Following a period of retirement, Mr Lowis was urged by local residents and community leaders to stand for local government. At age 65 he obliged, and was subsequently elected Mayor of the Burdekin Shire in 2012. Mr Lowis’s tenure was responsible for the construction of the Burdekin Shire Cyclone Shelter, his flagship initiative during a term that focused on disaster resilience, infrastructure and community development. He eventually stepped down at the end of his term in 2016. Mr Lowis now continues to live in Home Hill with his wife, Trish, whom he married at the Home Hill Catholic Church in 1969. The couple have four kids, all of whom were raised and have remained in North Queensland. Both daughter Kirsten Lowis and wife Trish said they were proud of Mr Lowis for his recognition, calling it fitting for a man who had spent decades serving others without ever seeking praise for it. “He’s always been so humble … and I think he was a wonderful Mayor,” said Trish. “I think when he gets to heaven that they’ll say, ‘Saint William, it’s time to come through!’” When asked how important his family had been along his journey, Mr Lowis replied: “Everything.” Daughter Kirsten echoed that sentiment. “This award is about mum, too, because the two of them are the best team. Dad would not be dad without mum, and mum would not be mum without dad,” she said. “Dad’s a builder; both by trade and by heart. Mum and dad have been building this community, building their own houses, building our houses, our businesses and our lives.” CAPTIONS: 1—Mr Lowis became Mayor of the Burdekin Shire in 2012. 2—He contributed across an array of organisations including Rotary, the SES, Rural Fire Service and the RSL. Photos supplied ‍