Arthur Gorrie was born at West End in Brisbane on 19 May 1922. He ran a small hobby shop in

Woolloongabba Woolloongabba is a suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the , Woolloongabba had a population of 5,631 people. Geography Woolloongabba is located south of the CBD. It contains the Brisbane Cricket Ground ('the Gabba') and t ...

, and was involved with model aeronautical clubs including the Model Aeronautical Association of Australia and the Queensland Model Aeronautical Association from the early 1950s. He was also heavily involved with

Toastmasters International Toastmasters International (TI) is a US-headquartered nonprofit educational organization that operates clubs worldwide for the purpose of promoting communication, public speaking, and leadership. History The organization grew out of a single c ...

, and was honored by them on many occasions, becoming a Distinguished Toastmaster in 1979 and Toastmaster of the Year on eight occasions. In 1987, the

Model Aeronautical Association of Australia The Model Aeronautical Association of Australia Inc (MAAA) is an organisation recognised by CASA as a Recreational Aviation Administration Organisation. MAAA has no regulatory authority conferred to it by the CASA, however is required under a D ...

inducted Gorrie into their Hall of Fame, for his promotion of aero-modelling in Queensland for over thirty years. On 8 June 1992 he was awarded the

Medal of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...

for his services to Toastmasters and the Model Aeronautical Association of Australia. Gorrie died from a heart attack on 21 June 1992, his family accepted his OAM on his behalf. His work with Toastmasters included helping with the rehabilitation of prisoners in the state's jails, his work in that area led to him being honored by having the

Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre is a high security Remand Centre for males, primarily accommodating individuals who a Judge or Magistrate has ordered must be held in custody as they await, and during, trial. The centre is located on the Ipswic ...

at Wacol named after him when it was opened in late 1992.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gorrie, Arthur Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia Hobbyist organizations 1922 births 1992 deaths People from Brisbane