Bletchington Public School's heart-warming gift for outgoing groundskeeper

From his first job as a junior station assistant in the far west NSW town of Menindee, to the past two decades as a groundskeeper at Bletchington Public School, the 61-year-old has loved waking up every day with a sense of purpose.

So when he decided to begin the retirement process in the middle of 2023 by taking his well-earned long service leave, it came as a shock to the system.

"It was hard. I had headaches for a month after not working," he said.

"I loved getting up and going to work, just doing stuff and helping people."

Although his initial role at the school was as an Aboriginal aid worker/teacher's aid, a job as groundskeeper soon became available.

While he's no mug in the garden, he had never taken on a role that large.

Nevertheless, he stuck his hand up and got straight to work.

"It was a bit hard to take first up," Mr Spencer added.

"But after about a month you knew what you were doing and it all started to click."

From the reconciliation garden, to a yarning circle and even the rainbow serpent bench were all created thanks to Mr Spencer's hard work.

"The bosses I had there were pretty good too because they give you an open book," he said.

"If you say you want to put a garden somewhere, they'll tell you to go for it."

With ten more months of holidays before Mr Spencer can officially be classed as retired, he's had to find hobbies to pass the day.

This has included the odd round of golf. In fact, he was meant to take part in Orange's annual Naidoc Week tournament on October 27.

That was until he received more than a few calls from his former workplace telling him he was needed at school that same day.

"It was all a bit of a mystery," he added.

But not one to turn down an invitation, he made his way back to Bletchington for the school's Naidoc assembly.

It was there that the surprise was unveiled in front of students and staff alike.

Aunty Mary Croaker heads up the Connections Program which links Orange's Indigenous students between primary and high school.

She arranged for the Connections group to work with artist David Sawtell to make a mosaic of Mr Spencer which now resides in the reconciliation garden.

"It was quite amazing. It knocked me back a few steps when I saw it," Mr Spencer said.

"All the kids came up to me saying they missed me. It makes me not want to retire."

Regardless of whether he changes his mind or not, one certainty is that his legacy at Bletchington will not soon be forgotten.

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