JUDI McKee’s dedication to community service has deep roots that stretch back to her childhood in country Victoria. “Most people would say we were a middle-class family with supportive parents who were community minded and involved in the majority of activities of a local community – church, sporting activities, social occasions, disasters such as fire and floods, and local education,” the Safety Beach resident said.
To this day she says dedicating time to helping and supporting communities, especially the most fragile ones, gives her a sense of belonging and identity, “and also a natural sense of accomplishment for doing what I can for others and the community”. For her service to the community of Melbourne, Judi was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the Australia Day honours.
Judi has served in a variety of roles including as youth services director for Frankston North Rotary. She was also the first woman to join the Frankston North Rotary Club 19 years ago and was a director for 16 of those years. In 2012, she was elected president.
A former choir convenor with the Mornington Peninsula Chorale for 20 years, Judi arranged for 50 choristers to join other international choristers to perform Sir Karl Jenkins’ Requiem in Carnegie Hall New York. Among other roles, Judi was the founder and chair of Abbeyfield Society Frankston from the 1990s to 2022. The national not-for-profit society is a registered community housing provider committed to the development of a sustainable community-based housing model.
“For the best part of 35 years I was the chair of the local society, working with other volunteer committee members to oversee the management of the house and ensure the residents were safe and secure. And that was our reward, knowing our residents were able to enjoy their lives without having to face homelessness and insecurity,” Mrs McKee said.
In her professional career as a registered division one nurse, Judi has made a significant contribution towards services at Peninsula Health, where she worked from 1986 to 2019. During her term she was instrumental in the establishment of the Aged Care Assessment Services and the Cognitive Dementia and Memory Service for the Mt Eliza Geriatric Centre (now integrated into Peninsula Health). She was also behind the initial establishment of the access and referral unit for Peninsula Health, with the aim of centralising the point of referral into Peninsula Health’s Aged Care programs and other services.
Speaking of her Australia Day honour, Mrs McKee said she was “truly honoured”. “I feel proud, humbled, overwhelmed and emotional. This is a very special moment in my life, and I am thankful for the recognition of my contributions towards making the world a better place. This award promotes the work of volunteers in general; it highlights the difference volunteers can all make,” she said.
First published in the Frankston Times – 28 January 2025
