Living Treasure
Max Oldmeadow was born in Dandenong in 1924 and lived there virtually all his life.
Max saw himself foremost as an educationalist. He trained at Melbourne Teachers’ College and at the University of Melbourne. He taught in both the primary and secondary systems in many schools within the Greater Dandenong area.
In 1977, Max was appointed the Principal of Chandler High School. He was a driving force behind the creation of the community complex at Chandler High, a testament to the co-operative approach that became a hallmark of his leadership style.
Between 1969 and 1975, Max entered the political arena. He saw this as another way in which he might effectively contribute to bettering conditions in his local community. He served both in local government and as the Member for Holt during the Whitlam years.
Within the wider community of Greater Dandenong, Max generously gave his time, energy and expertise to many agencies and groups including the Dandenong Hospital, Trewint Nursing Home, Dandenong Child Care, the Dandenong Festival of Music and Art for Youth, the Uniting Church Share Community Appeal, Grassmere Youth Services, Dorothy Bailey House, Dandenong North Uniting Church Community Outreach Project, Dandenong Historical Society and Dandenong U3A.
Max’s contributions and commitment were formally recognised in 1993 when he was awarded an Order of Australia Medal for his services to community and education.