Graham Scobie – A Candidate in 13 Sep 2008 Eurobodalla Shire Council Election
Graham Scobie was born in Holbrook, NSW, on 3 Dec 1954 to Robin, a teacher, and Ian, a farmer. He is the first of five sons and attended Woomargama Public School, Holbrook Central School and Albury Grammar School (now Scots School).
In 1973 Graham enrolled in the Royal Military College, Duntroon, in Canberra before transferring to the Australian National University the following year. In the summer of ’75 Graham commenced his overseas traveling career with three months in New Zealand before working in Canberra with Bill Packard who was on Hillary’s expedition to Everest.
From 1977 to 1979 Graham lived, worked and traveled in London, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Europe, Turkey and the United States before returning to ANU in 1980 and 1981. In July, 1981, he moved to the Eurobodalla Shire and has been living here ever since except for two short expeditions to Queanbeyan to work with Federal Member Jim Snow in 1984 and Canberra to assist the Australian Bureau of Statistics in 1986.
Over the past 27 years Graham has lived in Tomakin, Moruya, Broulee, Mossy Point, Mogo and Reedy Creek and has been actively involved in the local community. For example, he was President of the Moruya and District Residents Association in 1981, helped establish Campbell Page in 1984, ran the Moruya Festival of Music in 1994 and 1995, helped the Batemans Bay Hospital Auxiliary to run the Batemans Bay Easter Fair at McKay Park in 2001 and has been President of the Moruya Chamber of Commerce since 2006. In that role he has been Chairman of the 2007 Moruya River of Art and the 2008 Make It Moruya Campaign.
Graham began his working life in the Eurobodalla as a farmer, builder and house-husband, later becoming a paving contractor and driving a road roller. From 1984 to 1986 he was Employment Development Officer with the South Eastern Employment Task Force and from 1988 to 1999 worked for Country Energy in a variety of roles including Customer Service, Training, Billing, Credit Control, Green Energy and Appliance Sales.
Since his arrival in the Eurobodalla Shire in 1981 Graham has also been a singer, songwriter and musician so his launching of Scobie Entertainment in 1999 was a natural progression. Since then he has recorded three albums and won two national music awards in 2004. In 2006 he added the Moruya Voice, a weekly community email newsletter, to the Scobie Entertainment stable and the Voice won a Moruya Business Award in that year.
Graham has also been actively involved in local politics since his arrival in the area and in 2004 was a candidate in the Eurobodalla Shire Council By-Election in preparation for the full council election on Saturday, 13 Sep 2008, for which he is also now a candidate.
Election comment authorized by Graham Scobie, PO Box 87, Moruya 2537.