About Norman McVicker OAM Norman McVicker Norman McVicker is a history researcher and writer in Mudgee who has written a continuous weekly column in the Mudgee Guardian, Tales from Along the Wallaby Track, since 1989.
He has published more than 1000 episodes.
Mr McVicker writes about the quirky, the humble, the ordinary as well as the grand.
His lively writings are well read and respected, and he has received a number of awards, including the Order of Australia Medal, ‘for service to the performing arts, particularly theatre, and to the community of Mudgee.’
He was nominated for Australian of the Year 2004, 2006, awarded Life Membership of the Mudgee Arts Council for services to the arts in Mid Western Regional Council area, and was awarded the highest state honour , the NSW Premier’s Award in 2007, for his gift of history to the people of Mudgee, presented by the then local Member of Parliament, George Souris. This was followed in 2007 by the NSW Government Seniors Week Achievement Award for contribution to Education/Lifelong Learning.
Mr McVicker began his writing career in 1937 as a freelance journalist and radio scriptwriter. He founded the St Peters Community Players, which grew into the Pocket Playhouse and founded the Pocket Playhouse Children’s Theatre.
From 1966 to 1971 he was appointed by Prime Minister Harold Holt as member of Australian UNESCO Committee for Drama and Theatre, having been involved in many Sydney major productions.
Mr McVicker ‘retired’ to Mudgee in 1980. He became a foundation member of Mudgee Arts Council and organized their first Art Show in Mudgee. He also lobbied for the implementation of the Mudgee Shire Australia Day Arts Award. Mr McVicker also designed the Roll of Recognition for Australia Day Recipients for the Mid Western Regional Council Administration Building, and designed the concept and wrote biographies of Mudgee pioneers for a Wall of Reflections in the Mid Western Regional Council library (Mudgee).
On the history side, Mr McVicker lobbied for the retention and restoration of Eurunderee School site attended by Henry Lawson. He designed and arranged the signposted history tour of Lawson Country, The Wallaby Track and began writing a history column for the Mudgee Guardian, Tales From Along the Wallaby Track.
Mr McVicker, who turned 90 in January, 2010, is still actively researching and writing his history articles for the Mudgee Guardian.
Mr McVicker recently launched his new website www.budgeebudgee.com and has launched the first edition of a collection of his Wallaby Track tales. | Norman McVicker has been writing the Mudgee Guardian’s Tales from along the Wallaby Track for 20 years. Finally he has acceded to requests for a book containing some of the columns. Click here Norman McVicker’s Budgee Budgee on the other side of Mudgee.
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