Janice Morgan from Narre Warren North, who is the official rainfall recorder for Melbourne Water, won an award as part of the Casey Community Volunteer Awards.
By Kelly Yates
NARRE Warren North’s official rainfall recorder for Melbourne Water has been presented with an award as part of this year’s Casey Community Volunteer Awards.
Janice Morgan received the award for her services to the Casey community at a ceremony last Friday night at the Balla Balla Centre in Cranbourne East.
The awards led into National Volunteer Week and highlighted the diverse range of volunteers in the municipality who contributed to the strengthening of the community by giving their time and talents in a multitude of volunteering roles. Ms Morgan said she was both surprised and shocked at being recognised with the award.
The 75-year-old told the News she inherited the role of being the rainfall recorder.
“The lady that owned the house before me used to do it so I’m continuing the trend,” she said.
She has been recording the rainfall for Melbourne Water in the Narre Warren North area since 1990.
Every morning at 8am, Ms Morgan reads the rain gauge in her garden and takes note of the amount collected.
“At the end of the year we send in all of the figures to Melbourne Water and they record the history of the year’s rainfall,” she said.
Ms Morgan said a couple of weeks ago she recorded 30 millilitres of rain.
“That was when we had the downpour of heavy rain, yet in the past few days we’ve only recorded .6 of a millilitre,” she said.
Ms Morgan is a life member of the Miniature Pony Society and leads a team in the annual Casey Cardinia Relay for Life event which raises money for cancer research.
She also volunteers at the Red Cross Blood Bank making tea for people donating blood. Ms Morgan enjoys spending time with her two grandchildren, aged 7 and 9, and gardening.
