Obituaries Australia

Geoff [Geoffrey] Green passed away on Monday 7th October following a battle with leukaemia. Born in Footscray and educated at Geelong Grammar, Geoff studied forestry at Melbourne University and was a resident at Queens College.

His first professional employment was with the Commonwealth Department for the Northern Territory Forestry Branch involved with native forest management as well as plantation trials. He was heavily involved with the redevelopment of urban forestry in Darwin following cyclone Tracy in 1974. He was later posted to Alice Springs as Officer in Charge of the Arid Lands Afforestation Programme. He met and married Gerry in the Territory.

In 1981 he joined his brother Fred (dec.) at Greenfreight in Myrtleford, Victoria. Geoff provided great leadership for Greenfreight as they pioneered the introduction of “mechanical harvesting” in Australia for Australian Newsprint Mills, Albury in 1981. Operating in the very steep plantations of southern NSW and north eastern Victoria, Geoff and Greenfreight had to meet the challenges of ever tightening standards for safety, quality, environmental care while remaining sharply cost competitive. Geoff achieved this without ever losing the respect and admiration of those with whom he was dealing. The firm has a very loyal staff reflecting the way the owners treat them. Hallmarks of dealings with Greenfreight are honesty, fairness and a bit of fun. As a private operator he avoided publicity but Geoff was a true gentleman of forestry.

He continued working right up to the end.

His family values were very strong. Gerry and Geoff were married more than 35 years and they had daughter Anna married to Craig and grandchild Xavier living in Brisbane; and son Ben married to Kellie living in Perth, WA.

Geoff was an ardent supporter and tireless contributor to the community. He was a long standing member of Lions, Myrtleford Saints Football Club and the Timber Hops and Tobacco Festival. He was also a keen supporter of industry organisations including the IFA, Hoo Hoo and AFCA. He also enjoyed participating in sports including golf, squash, water-skiing and tennis and was a reluctant investor in numerous slow horses and a few fast ones.

Geoff will be missed very much by all who knew him.