Almanac Obituaries: Vale Ian Thomas OAM – a football icon.

 

 

 

 

The name Ian Thomas probably does not mean much to people across the country.

 

However ask any person in the area known as West Gippsland and you will be told: “I knew him”.

 

Ian was the third generation of the Thomas family who owned and operated The Pakenham Gazette one of the few family newspapers still operating in Australia.

 

I have known Ian for most of our lives having first met when I was writing for the Lang Lang Football Club.  Our relationship grew closer when I was asked by his father (Herb) if I would take over writing football for the West Gippsland Football League in the early seventies.

 

Up until that time Ian not only covered the football in West Gippsland but also in South -West Gippsland as well as being the photographer.  For Ian Thomas in those days there was no weekends during the football season.

 

He would go from ground to ground for some pics and stopping at car-yards as well to photo cars for sale in the paper the following week.

 

Ian confessed he was not much good at sport and tried his hand at both football and tennis but he made all sports up-front-and-centre in the weekly Gazette . However he was a rabid Collingwood supporter who even convinced his wife to become a football fan when he retired from full-time work.  Knowing Dot that was a feat in itself!

 

When he was president of the Victorian Country Press Association in 1989-90 he travelled to every country newspaper in the state expounding the virtues of newspapers and their role in country Victoria.

 

Ian handed over the reins of the newspaper group under his leadership to son Paul in 1999.  Paul becoming the fourth generation of the family to lead what is now known as the Star news group.

 

He was the recipient of many awards over his life, be it for the newspaper, sport or the community.

 

In 1965 he won the Victorian Country Press Award for the VCFL football photo of the year.  A spectacular pic of Barry Cunningham (later MHR) of Cora Lynn marking over the pack.

 

During this time the paper won more awards for its coverage of football. In particular the coverage of Grand finals  which set a trend for other newspapers with a multi-page lift out.  It is hard to estimate just how much Ian’s work and the Pakenham Gazette meant to the football fraternity

 

In 2000 he was awarded the Australian Sports Medal (ASM) for his contribution to sport

 

His greatest personal honour, outside of family and the newspaper, was in 2002 when he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his contribution to the newspaper industry and the community.

 

Ian was involved in many, many things that people never heard about. He was definitely not a ‘big-noter’ in fact in some respects he could be regarded as shy but he knew how to treat people probably better that anybody I have known.

 

I would suggest without fear nor favour that Ian Thomas never had a bad word for anyone.  His integrity and honesty where second to none. I might add that I never heard a person say a bad word about Ian.

 

Ian Herbert Thomas died on his Pakenham farm last week at the age of 88. He was found collapsed besides his famous tractor.  Ian had always said he would like to die alongside his tractor.

 

He leaves his wife Dorothy (Dot) children Kerry, Helen, Paul and their families.

 

One of nature’s gentlemen and an honour to call him a friend.

 

BOB UTBER

 

 

To return to the www.footyalmanac.com.au  home page click HERE

 

Our writers are independent contributors. The opinions expressed in their articles are their own. They are not the views, nor do they reflect the views, of Malarkey Publications.

 

Do you enjoy the Almanac concept?
And want to ensure it continues in its current form, and better? To help keep things ticking over please consider making your own contribution.

 

Become an Almanac (annual) member – CLICK HERE