By Eleanor Wilson
In a country of cricket fanatics, softball is often considered runner-up in the hearts and minds of Aussies.
But not for Cranbourne local Elaine Duyvestyn, whose service to softball, along with early childhood education, awarded her a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the 2022 Queen’s Birthday Honours.
Mrs Duyvestyn discovered softball at school and quickly fell in love with the sport, she said.
She started as a player for Wingers Softball Club at Fawkner Park in South Yarra in 1968, before venturing into coaching, mentoring, administration and treasury roles with various softball associations.
A life member of Cranbourne Softball Club, Casey Softball Association, Wingers Softball Club, Melbourne Softball Association and Softball Victoria, it is not hard to understand Mrs Duyvestyn, her husband and three children, have long lived in a world consumed by softball.
“It’s just a great community sport. The environment is always competitive but friendly…there’s some amazing people and it’s nice to have that comradeship,” Mrs Duyvestyn said.
General manager of the Melbourne Softball Association from 1990-1997 and vice-president of Softball Victoria from 1998-2003 are just a couple of examples of her involvement with the sport, which earnt her a coveted Australian Sports Medal and Softball Australia Service Award among many other accolades.
But her service to the community far surpasses the sporting world.
In 1984, as a committee member at her sons’ kindergarten centre in Cranbourne, Mrs Duyvestyn was asked to take on a role to develop a not-for-profit early childhood education centre next door.
As part of a working committee, she was involved in everything from working with the building plans, to fitting the centre with equipment and furnishings, through to employing staff.
Thirty-eight years later, she is the last standing foundation volunteer manager for Clarendon Street Community Child Care Centre, an effort she owes to the kids that attend the centre.
“The demographic tells us that there’s lots of kids with issues and we know that when they come here, they’re safe,” she said.
“It’s just generally knowing that when the kids are at home, they’re not always so well cared for and not so safe, but here, we know we can give them as much care as we can in the 12 hours they’re here.”
In speaking to Mrs Duyvestyn about the highlights of her long service to the community, it becomes clear that it is all about community connection for her.
“It’s just the participation and being involved and working with lots of good people,” she said.
“All coming together for the same cause – the joy of getting together. They’re the sorts of things that leave a big impression on me.”
Her honour roll award sits at the top of an extensive list of accolades, including Australian Volunteer of the Year in 2001, City of Casey Community Volunteer Award in 2008, Community Sport and Active Recreation Award from VicSport in 2018 and Melbourne Softball Association’s Lorraine Ireland Award of Excellence in 2014.
Yet she maintains that receiving recognition from the community never gets old.
“[The awards] always amaze me, I’m really stoked by all of them. Just to have what you do recognised is really special,” she said.
“It just means somebody cares enough to go to the trouble [to nominate me] and that’s a big thing.”
