Lifetime of teaching, volunteering earns Laurie an OAM

"I’m no Ash Barty, I’m no Glenn McGrath, I’m just me," said Laurie Ashcroft or better known as Mr A, who is one of 472 Australians named on the 2026 Australia Day Honour Roll to receive a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his service to the community of Parkes. For Laurie the honour is less about his individual achievements and more about the many people and teams he has worked alongside over his many years of teaching and volunteering. "Bits and pieces of that medal will belong to everybody," Laurie said. Originally from Wollongong, Laurie wanted to be an engineer before a conversation with a friend lead him to pursue a career in teaching. Completing his university studies through the University of New South Wales, Laurie received a teaching scholarship. “I had previously been granted a teaching scholarship and turned it down so I reapplied and got it and it’s the best thing I ever did, I love teaching.” The scholarship meant Laurie had to teach at a designated school for five years and $10,000 would be paid off from his university studies. “I had $50 in the bank so when I opened up that envelope and it said ‘report to Eugowra Central’, I said ‘Eugowra here I come’ and it was the best thing to ever happen.” Laurie taught at Eugowra Central School (now Eugowra Public School) from 1974 to 1977 before teaching at Henry Lawson High School from 1977 to 1980. He then taught at Canowindra High School from 1980 to 1981, went back to Eugowra Central from 1981 to 1982 and spent one year at Airds High School teaching from 1982 to 1983. In 1983 Laurie began teaching at Parkes High School and after falling in love with the town this is where he continued teaching until he retired in 2011. His first teaching job at Eugowra made him fall in love with the west and teaching at Parkes High made him fall in love with Parkes. “I love the size of the town (Parkes), we had a terrific teaching staff at Parkes High and I was in the trotting game. “I love the people here, it’s like a big family, and you go get a loaf of bread and it takes you 20 minutes talking to everyone you run into,” Laurie said. “But it comes a time when I’ve been at school for 55 years and I wanted to do charity work so that’s why I retired.” Laurie’s greatest achievement has been volunteering at Illawarra Camp Quality for 20 years and Canberra Camp Quality for 15 years from 1990 to 2011 and was even awarded life membership. The reason behind why Laurie volunteered at Camp Quality was because the friend who led him to pursue his teaching career was unfortunately diagnosed with breast, throat and brain cancer and sadly passed away. “I vowed to do 20 years at camp quality for her. “I dedicate things to people,” Laurie added. That same motive is why he has sponsored a child with the Smith Family for 14 years. “My mother never went to high school and she always wanted a daughter, and she wished to sponsor a girl but she died before she got to do so, so that’s why I did it.” Laurie is also currently a volunteer driver with Neighbourhood Central Community Transport. Over his 15 years of volunteering to transport people, Laurie has completed 979 trips and his aim is to reach 1000. He has also donated 142 full blood donations. Donating blood is something he encourages everyone to do and even used to take his students to donate blood. “I ran into a past student the other week and she told me she still donates blood today and even her daughter is now donating blood.” Laurie has also been a foster parent to five teenagers during two years. His volunteer work doesn’t stop there though having been a volunteer driver for Meals on Wheels for 16 years, volunteer groundsman at Anglican Church Parkes for 12 years, World Vision Sponsor for 20 years, and a House Bound and Second Bite Parkes volunteer for both two years. His volunteering also goes to the track having given 35 years to the Parkes Harness Racing Club and awarded life membership, and has held various positions at Parkes, Eugowra and Grenfell trotting clubs for 50 years including treasurer of Grenfell Harness Racing Club from 1978 to 1979 and member of Eugowra Harness Racing Club from 1974 to 1976. His OAM isn't Laurie's first award either. For his teaching Laurie was awarded the NSW Minister’s Award for Excellence in teaching in 1999 and for his volunteer work with the Parkes Harness Racing Club he was awarded Volunteer of the Year in 2016. Laurie has also been a three-time nominee for the Parkes Australia Day Citizen of the Year award. "I want to congratulate all the people who are going to get awards here (Cooke Park in Parkes), the local awards on Australia Day," he said. "People who do swimming lessons and people who train hockey kids and the people who volunteer at the food banks. Parkes wouldn't be the community it is without them," Laurie added. Laurie's message to the Parkes community is simple, roll-up your sleeve and give blood. The Lifeblood van will be located on Short Street alongside Cooke Park from 30 to 31 March and in Forbes from 23 to 24 March on Harold Street. "Mr A Challenges you to give blood this March," Laurie said who encourages everyone to follow in his footsteps and make blood donation part of their routine.