Gary Lovell

You’ve helped to run several businesses in your time – from two newsagencies, Lovell’s Toy Place, a video store and Harvey World Travel. You’re a busy man, aren’t you?

It used to be mum, dad, Wendy Louise and my brother-in-law, David. There was quite a few of us. Mum is now retired, Wendy went into politics and Dad passed away. David runs the travel agency and Louise and I run the newsagency.

It’s hard. We don’t get a break. We work from 2am to 6pm and I’m working seven days a week.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Williamstown. I was very much into sport in my younger years. I was a good swimmer, I competed in a number of state titles and I was into yachting.

I also surfed up and down the coast – I had long hair and it was peroxided.

I moved to Shepparton in 1975 at the age of 17. I would travel back and forth every weekend and used to travel down on the train and do my sailing and catch the paper truck back on Sunday and get in at 5am.

You’ve been with the Search and Rescue Squad for 30 years now, how did you get involved?

In Rotary I met Shepparton News photographer, Simon Greig. His wife was in Rotary. He conned me into going for the Search and Rescue Squad.Simon was at me for three years and I kept turning him down but they needed divers and I’d dived before. I started off as an underwater diver and gradually got into other areas.

People often say to me, ‘Why do you do it? You must see some horrible things?’ It’s something that I can do that not many others can. If I can save a life, it’s well worth doing.

You’re a bit of a minor celebrity in Shepparton – it seems everyone knows you?

I can’t go anywhere. Everyone knows me. Even when I go on holidays I’ll run into someone. I ran into someone when I was in Germany.

What’s kept you in town?

The lifestyle. Country people are a lot friendlier. I live 13kms from town but I can be home and in the pool with a glass of red in ten minutes. You can’t do that in the city.

Do you love it here?

Yeah, but I’d also love to live on a tropical island.

Are you lucky Gary?

I have won first division in a syndicate twice. My nickname is Lucky with the Search and Rescue. It’s written on my casual rescue shirt. I wasn’t so lucky when I got on deal or No Deal and didn’t win anything.

Have you got any bad habits?

I smoke. The boys are always on at me about it. I also talk too much.

You’ve come a long way from the surfer boy from the coast with long peroxided hair, haven’t you?

I didn’t know how I was going to go living inland and so far away from the coast. I mean, I used to wear the Cheesecloth shirt and one of those seashell necklaces.