I was born in Dalby and educated at Dalby State School and later at Brisbane Boys College at Toowong.

My father was a busy sole general medical practitioner in Dalby and my mother was just as busy running a house with four young children, as well as helping out in the surgery from time to time.

I remember my childhood as being a happy and carefree one with plenty of space in which to roam and play.

I commenced as a boarder at BBC in my first year of Secondary School and remained so until half way through grade 11 when my family moved to Brisbane. I then completed my schooling as a day boy.

Whilst not a brilliant student, I very much enjoyed the chance to participate in a variety of sports and other activities at school and was fortunate to be selected in my grade 11 and 12 years in the Queensland Schoolboys Under 19 cricket team.

I have memories of playing against many fine young players, some of whom went on to play test cricket.

The sounds of my father arising from his bed in the dark and cold of night to sometimes drive many miles (as they then were!) to tend to the sick, put me off the thought of following in his footsteps.

A friend of mine was doing law and I decided to do likewise.

My decision was encouraged by the fact that my best subjects at school were English and foreign languages. I was not the least bit maths or sciences orientated.

I was admitted as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Queensland and of the High Court of Australia in 1978 and commenced practice as a Solicitor in Beenleigh.

I married my wife Krystyna (Christine) in 1980 and in 1981 became a charter member of the newly established Rotary Club of Loganholme and its inaugural Secretary.

Christine and I enjoyed the relatively carefree existence of a couple without children until 1991 when our daughter Anna was born.

Our son, Michael was born in 1997 a couple of months before I took up the presidency of the Rotary Club of Loganholme for the 1997 - 1998 Rotary Year. It certainly was a busy time!

As luck would have it, the District 9630 Conference that year was held in the town of my birth and I enjoyed catching up with friends and acquaintances of long ago.

Also, at about that time, I successfully undertook the Queensland Law Society Specialist Accreditation Program and qualified as an Accredited Specialist in Family Law, being amongst the first group to receive Specialist Accreditation in Queensland.
I am presently a partner at Ehrich Monahan & Tisdall, Solicitors and Notary in Beenleigh where I mainly practice in Family Law but in a couple of other areas also.

As well as being involved in the children's various sporting and other activities, I like socialising with friends over good food and wine. I continue to play a number of sports, most often golf these days, however I am fast becoming a top armchair critic!

I also enjoy being a modest collector of antiquities, in particular ancient Egyptian antiquities and Roman coins.

I have enjoyed my 21 years in Rotary, during which time I have served the club in most capacities, including President. I was honored by the club some years ago when I was awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship.

In recent years, I have helped out at District level by acting as the District 9630 Resolutions officer.

I value the many friendships made in Rotary and look forward to making a whole lot more in the years ahead.