Tim McManus about to turn 90

Born in 1932, Tim McManus celebrates his 90th birthday in December this year. Tim attended St Virgil’s College from Grade 4 through to Grade 12, matriculating in 1950 as Dux of the College.

He went on to study at the University of Tasmania for two years before moving to New South Wales to pursue Veterinary Science for a further four years - graduating as a Vet and then returning to Tasmania to work.

Tim also celebrates another milestone this year, 60 years of marriage to his wife Eileen (née McMenimam) in October. They have four daughters. 

Tim has practiced tirelessly as a vetenarian for the Agricultural Department in the north of the state since the mid 1950s. Since the 1960s Tim and his lived and worked in Falmouth, where he ran a surgery, retiring in 1997. For many years he had a segment on the radio in the north, discussing animal health and welfare issues as part of the ABC County Hour.

He is an expert in Ross River Virus, presenting a paper on the subject at Oxford when he was overseas. Locally he has acted as a disease consultant, warning locals and unsuspecting visitors to the East Coast about how to protect themselves from contracting the mosquito borne virus.

He has been an active member of the Catholic community on the East Coast especially within the St Helens Catholic Parish. 

Tim was instrumental in the establishment and ongoing maintenance of the Winifred Curtis Reserve in Scamander.

Back Row: C.B. Richardson, P.J. Gleason, B.G. Cole, P.C. Fahey, A.B. Counsel, H.L. Petrie, T.J. McManus. Second Row: B.P. Lewis, A.P. Dillon, M.J. Brouder, J.B. Cooper, G.T. Fernlough, H.D. Murphy. Front Row: M.J. Rush, J.M. Gillon, R.M. Chapman, T.J. Barwick, M.J. Sullivan, D.R. Goldsmith, A.G. Wallace.

Tim’s younger brother, Robert, was featured in the July 2018 edition of OVAtion.

Robert attended the College 1949-56 and was awarded the Order of Australia Medal in 2017 for service to the community through a range of social welfare organisations including St John Ambulance, St Vincent de Paul Society, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hobart, the Bible Society of Australia, the Seven Mile Beach Volunteer Fire Brigade and Lifeline.