Alf Manciagli is a well-known professional photographer and businessman in Orange. I’ve known him personally for about 10 years and although not close friends, I have come to appreciate him as being a good man, a great bloke and a proud supporter of anything that promotes Orange.

Last week we all heard that he’d received an OAM in the latest Queens Honours Awards and I for one, couldn’t have felt more pleased.

I can’t speak for others, and I’m sure there’s plenty of them, but I can speak for myself and our association over the last 10 years or so.

Our relationship has been mainly along business lines but also one where we’ve openly and willingly helped each other where a greater good could be served. Each of us has resources or abilities that have the potential to help or entertain others in some way. In my case I have a popular magazine and skills in marketing and publishing in my bag of tricks, Alf on the other hand has incredible photography skills, along with his business savvy. During the last 10 years, we have each been able to greatly assist each other personally and professionally, but mainly in the promotion of Orange and the area.

For me, Alf has freely and generously provided me with unlimited access to his millions of classic photographs when I’ve needed them. Some readers may remember, among other things, the Christmas Cards we did some years back and more recently a Picture Postcard booklet, both feature Alf’s photography and both projects were all about promoting our beautiful Colour City near and far. Both these projects were highly successful, and both gave me great satisfaction, but they wouldn’t have been such successes without Alf’s brilliant photographs and his willingness to give me free access to them.

For Alf, we have helped him promote and advertise some of his projects. First it was photographry classes several years back, more recently it was three books that featured hundreds of stunning photographs Alf had taken over a period of time from around the region. His books still sit proudly on our coffee table at home and visitors and friends still marvel at them when they browse through them. On Alf’s books, if you haven’t already got one, I think a few copies are still available at the Orange Visitors Centre and Collins Booksellers if you’d like to see or buy them. They are timeless and make wonderful keepsakes or conversation starters.

There’s a lot more I could say about Alf, but I’ve probably embarrassed him enough already, he’s not aware that I’ve written this. I haven’t seen Alf in a little while, I’m aware that his health hasn’t been as great as he would have hoped and that’s slowing him down somewhat. Despite this, I’m sure he’s still keeping himself busy, he’s that sort of bloke.

Congratulations on your OAM Alf, in my book you thoroughly deserve it, and thanks for being such a wonderful friend and great Ambassador for Orange.