Pauline Chapman
As a long-time resident of the beautiful Rawdon Island, how did you first come to call it home, and what can you tell us about your family roots there?
Rawdon Island is truly in my blood. I was born right there into a local dairy farming family, back when getting onto the island meant navigating bumpy dirt roads and milk was still collected by boat because we didn’t have a bridge!
I went to school in Wauchope and Port Macquarie, and after spending some time exploring the wider world, the pull of the Hastings was too strong. I returned home to raise my two wonderful daughters, Lisa and Ellen, right where my own story began.
You spent an impressive 44 years in the banking industry, building deep roots in the community. What did that chapter teach you about running a successful business on the Mid North Coast?
Looking back, my first three years travelling NSW on relief staff were incredibly exciting. I made lifelong friends along the way. In the early 1980s, I returned to the Mid North Coast after being appointed the youngest bank manager in regional NSW, eventually taking the reins of the Port Macquarie branch and holding various management roles until my retirement a decade ago.
What did it teach me? Longevity in regional business comes down to a few core pillars: building rock solid relationships, mastering your budgets, deeply understanding both financials and human nature, and maintaining absolute consistency.
You are incredibly passionate about championing small business and serve as a key driver of the Wauchope Chamber of Commerce. How is the Chamber tracking these days?
Retirement didn’t slow me down! I immediately launched my own ventures— running an Airbnb, producing hay and garden mulch on my property, and working as a small business training consultant. I absolutely love helping business owners unearth opportunities and ideas they might not have realized were there. As for the Wauchope Chamber, it is currently a powerhouse of proactive, passionate business people. We have a dedicated office in Wauchope’s main street, and it’s a joy to watch our collaborative ideas evolve into major local events that help our business community thrive.
Your volunteer resume is remarkable, spanning from the early days of the local Ironman to your current work with Heart Health. What drives this immense passion for service?
I think I’ve just always had a natural drive to volunteer! In 2019, I became the inaugural Vice President of the Hastings Valley Amateur Bee Association, a role I held for five years and am still closely involved with. On Tuesdays, you’ll find me at the Port Macquarie Base Hospital, assisting the wonderful nurses and physiotherapists with exercise classes for cardiac rehab patients. I’m also working with Equip, a fantastic new group helping locals hit by floods and fires build resilience before the next disaster strikes. Closer to home, I started the Rawdon Island Community Facebook page to keep neighbours connected.
The Wauchope Chamber, where I’m incredibly proud to serve as Patron, remains another massive passion of mine.
To wrap things up, what is it that you love most about living in the Wauchope Hinterland?
I’ve gathered a lifetime of knowledge on this beautiful piece of earth, and I will be forever grateful for it. If I could leave readers with one final thought, it’s a gentle nudge to consider volunteering. Find a cause that speaks to you and give a little of your time. It’s a simple act, but having that extra purpose in life is incredibly rewarding. In fact, if you’re looking for your perfect volunteer match, come find me, I’d love to help you connect the dots!