By Ron Lane
After vacating the premises at the completion of the wedding banquet, some of the wedding group, moving through the streets of Cobram were noisy. The police were not happy. Words were exchanged, a stubby flew through the air and a brother and sister, both members of the wedding party, were quickly on their way to the local lock up.
Next day, unaware of the night’s little escapades, the newlyweds turned up at a family barbecue to continue wedding celebrations.
“A great wedding,” said the bridegroom to his father. “Great alright,” was the reply. “Both your sister and brother ended up in the slammer for the night.”
Now 23 years later, as he finished relating the tale Anton Mogg, known to all and sundry as Moggie lent back in his chair and laughed.
“Now that was a wedding to remember. Neither my wife, Julie, nor I had any idea of what had transpired. But Dad did- and he was not amused.”
Born in 1964 or as Moggie, a lover of music and former D.J.tells it, “the year the Beetles arrived in Australia,” he grew up in Cobram and was educated at the Cobram High School, then Assumption College at Kilmore. On leaving high school, he entered the workforce as a bank teller for the National Bank; a job he was to hold for three years before moving into the area that was to become his forte, the hospitality industry.
“I started at the Cobram-Barooga Sports Club. The club was situated just over the border in New South Wales, and those were the days when N.S.W. had pokies but Victoria didn’t. So working in a place like the sports club gave me a good grounding.”
It was while living in Cobram that Moggie met Julie, his future wife and a relationship started. Then in 1988 after having spent some six years at the sports club, they decided to set off on a trip around Australia. “We got as far as Noosa and that was it. I started a job at the Reef Hotel as the D.J. and night club manager. I also joined the Noosa Tigers the local Aussie Rules Football Club and spent several seasons playing as a full forward; and our trip around Australia- well that just didn’t happen.”
Moggie’s involvement with the Tigers continues even to this day. After his playing days ended, he coached junior grades for several years and continues his input by being heavily involved in the vital and never-ending work of fund-raising.
When it comes to Aussie Rules football, his love of the game was handed down by his father Les.
“My Dad was a legend in the North Melbourne Club playing for many years; also during his career he represented Victoria. After Melbourne he moved to Cobram club as captain/coach where he won six flags in seven years and that is quite an achievement. Also during my time there, my brother Peter and I in 1984 played a season together, and coached by our father, we went through undefeated.”
“By the early ’90s, I had moved up the ranks at the Reef, and then in ’94 we decided to get married. The wedding was held back home in Cobram at the Cobram- Barooga Golf Club, and as I said, it was in more ways than one, definitely a night to remember. Big crowd with people from Noosa and Melbourne.”
Now some 23 years on, Moggie and Julie are the proud parents of daughter Cassidy aged 19, now studying at Queensland Uni and son Jordan 16, studying in Year 12.
In 1998, the position of club manager for the Surf Club, the business arm of the Noosa Heads Surf Life Saving Club, was advertised and Moggie applied. Under the board chairmanship of John Little, his application was successful, and this was the start of what was to be, a very productive relationship. Moggie started just at the completion of the surf club’s first-ever major renovation, so with the alterations and the drive for new membership, he had his work cut out for him.
A major part of his success at the club he attributes to the work and support of his Administration manager Carmel Savage. “We have worked together for 18 years, having first met at the Reef Hotel. When I moved to the Surf Club, I asked her to come with me and happily she said ‘yes’.”
Surf club treasurer and life member Wally Schaller, who was a member of the interviewing panel for Moggie’s application said, “Moggie is rather unique, he has outstanding people skills, the ability to bring people together. This is a major factor in the hospitality industry.”
To put Moggie’s attitude into words, he sums it up beautifully when he said, “Seeing our customers happy– that means everything to me. Happy customers always come back; it’s the true basis for success.”
Regarding the performance of his duties, he said, “I have shared drinks with people from all walks of life. Prime ministers, state premiers, rock stars, sporting legends,” and he added with a grin, “even gangsters. It certainly makes for an interesting profession.”
In the ever-expanding world of the hospitality industry, there are many avenues to cover; government legislation to be addressed, liquor laws to be observed, work place health and safety to be studied; the list goes on and on. In the tourist centres, connection with the tourism people is of the utmost importance.
Being ever conscious of this, Anton Mogg has certainly been fully committed. At present, he is chairman of the local Liquor Accord. The Accord represents all licence venues in the Noosa Shire; this necessitates his consulting, regarding liquor licence, with police and other stakeholders. He also sits on the club’s advisory council with Clubs Queensland when required. This body represents clubs from Cairns to the Tweed.
Some time ago, the chairman of the Surf Club Board of Directors Ian Young OAM, instructed the board to get the club more involved in the community, and Moggie’s skills with rallying people really came to the forefront.
“One of the first major projects I organised was a fund-raiser to assist those families who suffered in the Black Saturday fires. Some of those people had been through sheer hell and to be able to help, not just through finance, but personal assistance as well, was very rewarding. I am proud to say that on that night which was one of my biggest at the club, we raised in the vicinity of $50,000 through auctions and other things in just over three hours. The club was packed; the community really got behind us and support was great.” Others to come under Moggie’s umbrella are the veterans groups– Soldier On and Mates 4 Mates.
This effort was repeated following the tragic Brisbane floods when, under Moggie’s supervision the club again raised some $50,000.
“The local response to this tragedy was also incredible, and is something we should be proud of.”
When he looks back, he estimates that the club, with community support over the last 10 years, has raised well over half a million dollars for charities and disasters.
Also, through his sporting connections at the AFL, Moggie has successfully opened many doors, and as a result of his efforts, most sporting and not-for-profit organisations in Noosa have been assisted. Another issue, in which Moggie was the instigator, was employing and helping of Down Syndrome children at the club, an issue he has been personally persuing for 15 years.
However, one of Moggie’s habits that really stand out is his visits to the local hospital. “Every Easter and Christmas, for 15 years, Cassidy, Jordie and I have been going to the local hospital to visit patients; in particular the elderly. The kids, who are now patrolling members of the Noosa Surf Club, wear their patrol uniforms and give out lollies and flowers; the patients love it. It gives them a real shot in the arm.”
Apart from his family, work and helping others, his other big interest is his love of music.
“Over the years, I have made it a habit to see the best; Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jnr, Elton John, Whitney Houston, U2, Sting, just to name a few.”
Because of this love of music, Moggie is now helping start careers for young local musicians by bringing them to the surf club for Sunday afternoon gigs.
“One local act, the Dennis Sisters, has caught on, and they are really starting to go places in the world of coastal/country music. They have featured at the Gympie Muster and Tamworth; that sort of thing makes our support and effort all worthwhile.”
