General News
22 August, 2025
Getting to know you: Terry and Robyn Bellinger
The Hopetoun couple, Terry and Robyn Bellinger, will have been married for 50 years on August 30 this year and together for even longer.
This forward-thinking and progressive couple have impacted many lives and continues to do so into retirement.
Born in 1950, the fourth of six children, Terry had a very happy childhood, growing up and being educated in Hopetoun, where he went to Saint Joseph's school at six.
Gifted with a good mind and eager to learn, he completed 'Babies' and grade one in one year, having read and written before starting school.
Terry went to Hopetoun High, completed year eleven and met Robyn there, and now wife of 50 years.
Terry's working life began in the ES&A bank in Kerang, where he showed some other skills, being pretty good at football.
He was transferred to Ascot Vale after one year and then to Collin’s Street for seven years.
A career change saw him join the Lands Department in 1973, stationed at Seymour.
He was selected for an inaugural course in Conservation and Land Management, which saw him attending Frankston Technical College for one week and Keith Turnbull Research Institute for another week.
He went on to work as a Lab Assistant for the Science People researching Pests, Plants, and animals.
He completed a Course and transferred to Werribee as an Assistant Inspector.
He was then transferred to Pyramid Hill as Inspector for three years and then Rainbow, which , he reports, is the best little town in Australia, where he spent ten years and where daughters Jana and Simone were born.
He was promoted as Area Manager of Murrayville, Underbool, Ouyen, Hopetoun, Speed, Birchip, Rainbow, and Wyperfeld National Park.
After 10 years, he took a package and joined the local shire under Spot Lehman, which he reports were the best nine years of his working life.
Retiring some nine years ago, Terry found he was living with a still undiagnosed neurological disorder; facing challenges in daily life is difficult and the support of community is vital for those in our community living with health issues that impact on the quality and ability of our lives.
“I have to thank the Shire Staff who have been my backbone since, notably Chris Lehman, Maurice Smith, Vinny Mellington, Laurence Davidson and Shane Bellinger - always a phone call away.” Terry said.
Robyn was also born in Hopetoun, growing up in Lascelles where she attended the Primary School alongside 80 students.
Attending Hopetoun High School, under the tutelage of Barbara Grigg and others, she developed a love of English and a passion for journalism.
However at a time when finances limited opportunities, her pathway to Tertiary Education was enabled through a Secondary Teaching Scholarship and her Career in education began.
After completing an Arts Degree at La Trobe University she completed a Diploma of Education and began teaching at Seymour.
Following Terry, this led to six schools in six years, with experience in Rural, Remote, Regional and City Schools.
Returning to the Southern Mallee, she became assistant principal at Rainbow High School for six years and then served as principal for another 15 years.
Robyn had the complex and delicate task of overseeing the merger between the two schools into the Rainbow Secondary College, a legacy that continues today.
A great believer in Public Education, she was selected twice as one of a group of High Performing Principals for a five-week tour of schools across Canada, the United States, and Scotland, being one of only two female principals in the group.
This passion saw her develop the Southern Mallee Cluster of five local schools, to connect through Technology, using videoconferencing.
Justice and gender equality are other issues Robyn works for.
Since retirement Robyn has been involved in various community activities including co-ordinating the Monday morning walking group, the Opportunity Shop and President of the Hopetoun Bowls Club, initiating a recruitment drive to try and encourage people to connect to community through the Bowling Club as a place to go and meet others.
As they travel on this stage of their life journey together, they commit to, and are grateful for, the support of community and are keen for others to do the same.
Hopetoun is blessed to have such a couple who inspire all those around.