What’s in a name?

As National Seniors’ Founding Father, the medal honours Everald’s outstanding contribution to the Australian community while celebrating everyday champions whose grassroots experiences and selfless contributions make a significant difference in their communities. 

It also reflects National Senior’s values of fairness, excellence, and respect, exemplified by Everald’s own experience and achievements. 

The award will be announced in a special ceremony on 1 October, which is International Day of the Older Person. 

At 92, Everald, who lives in Brisbane with his wife of more than six decades, Helen, says it’s an honour to have the medal named after him. 

“The idea of it is to make sure the people of Australia realise there are seniors out there who are doing extraordinary things for our country, and that we’re not a burden on the nation,” he explains. 

“You have to be nominated for the medal by members of the public, so it’s a great way to highlight seniors who are doing great things for the community and not necessarily seeking recognition for that work. 

“You can nominate someone from wherever they are in Australia, places like Gulf Country and the Kimberley, no matter how remote. I was born in the bush. People do great things for the community in these parts of Australia.” 

Everald was in his 40s and volunteering as a member of the Brisbane Rotary Club when he was tapped to help found National Seniors Australia. 

“I wasn't really eligible to join the organisation as I was under the age of 50,” he chuckles. 

“But they held a special resolution to put me on, and it was my job to put together the funding to get the organisation up and running."

Over his life, Everald has worked in five different professions and encourages others to diversify their skills and try new things no matter what stage they are in life. 

“I came from a poor family, so I left school early to find work. I started out as a labourer and continued my studies at night, finally becoming a bank clerk and then a public accountant. 

“I then moved into fundraising and raising capital for major projects. When I retired from that, I became a company director on a number of public companies and, more recently, I've become an author.” 

While he never got the chance to go to university, Everald says he considers himself a ‘lifelong learner’.

“Whenever I made the decision to do something new, I simply did a crash course and developed my knowledge and skills. 

“Many people, myself included, didn’t get to do what they really would have liked to have done as a profession when they left school. A friend of mine worked his whole life as a lawyer. When he reached 65, he went off and did a TAFE course and bought some land, and now he and his wife are olive farmers. They couldn’t be happier. 

“There’s all sorts of opportunities out there, and my philosophy is that we need to allow older Australians to stay in the workforce for as long as they would like—even if it's only part-time. This will allow them to add to their superannuation and get a better retirement than they might otherwise. 

“All the research shows that if you continue working part-time past the current retirement age of 67, you are likely to live five years longer than if you retire and just play golf occasionally. 

“So, I'm encouraging people to start a new vocation when they're 65. I'm always saying to people, don’t retire and do nothing. Retire and do everything.” 

Nominations are now open for the Everald Compton Community Champion Medal. Nominate here.

This article is featured in National Seniors Australia’s quarterly member magazine, Our Generation. 

Become a member today and receive a yearly subscription to Our Generation digital magazine as part of your membership, along with exclusive discounts, competitions, branch access and more! 

Your membership directly funds our advocacy and research work that benefits older Australians including fixing pension poverty, tackling health care costs, and improving aged care.