By Brendan Rees
Growing up, Peter Cohen remembers the days his parents’ car would get bogged on the grounds of the Cranbourne Golf Club when the course was being built in 1952.
His parents would take him and his siblings to check on the works every Sunday as they were the foundation members.
Mr Cohen says he holds a “sentimental connection” with the Country Club, and continued to honour his parents’ accomplishment by serving as a board member until he retired about five years ago.
This put him on the path to success, as he also dedicated his life to hockey and Jewish community of St Kilda.
Today, the 75-year-old Caulfield South resident received the AM (Member of the Order of Australia) in the 2018 Australia Day Honours List.
Although being honoured, Mr Cohen was quick to praise the volunteers and team he worked with over the years.
“When somebody gets an award like this I certainly feel it’s recognition of all of the people; you can’t do this on your own,” he said.
“I played my part but so many other people as well – it’s a team.
“It’s really wonderful and it’s a great honour to be recognised in this way…it’s recognition of volunteers, that’s how I see it.”
A lawyer by profession, Mr Cohen took on a legal administrative role with the club in 1976 after his father died.
“They invited me to continue on in the legal side of things which I did,” he said.
“As time went on I became a member of the committee of the Cranbourne country Club. I was a member for quite some time; then I became the president.”
Although not a golfer, says it important to acknowledge the founders of the club as “our primary role was simply as the custodians of the land.”
“Anybody could be a member, there was to be no discrimination on any basis whatsoever,” he said.
“There were originally 250 foundation members and I think they each subscribe a 100 pounds.”
Mr Cohen, a recipient of the Medal of the Order of Australia in 1998, has had an extensive involvement International Hockey Federation in which he is a member of honour.
He has also served as president and an honorary solicitor with the St Kilda Hebrew Congregation.
