A new book about the life of Armidale identity, mentor and philanthropist, the late Dr Ned Iceton, will be launched on Tuesday 16 May 2017 at 5pm at The Readers Companion bookshop.
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Ned lived in Armidale for nearly fifty years and died in June 2015 at Armidale Hospital.
The launch will be jointly undertaken by Mary Porter, chairperson of the foundation that Ned established to continue his work, and Rob Taber, who Ned worked with on the board of Jobs Australia.
Born in 1930, Ned studied medicine and worked with the NT flying doctor service and later worked as a lecturer in Community Development at UNE, Armidale. In 1972 he married Joan Renee, a lecturer at the Armidale Teachers’ College. Mary Porter said the book, ‘The Networker: Ned Iceton and the Social Developers Network’, is filled with personal accounts and the influence Ned had on the lives of many people.
“The book celebrates Ned’s life and work and is written in collaboration with people who knew him. Everyone is welcome to the launch”, Mary said.
“The book conveys the humanness of Ned. My experience was of a serious man with a serious mission. His life was a journey of growth, enlightenment, and development, as well as pain, letting go, and facing new challenges.
“All the time he was nurturing others, helping us to navigate our own journeys – that’s why I’m so fortunate to have known Ned and be able to share part of his journey”.
In Armidale, Ned was involved in many community activities - Jobs Australia, Council Safety Committee, Armidale Community Foot Patrol, Minimbah Pre- School, and the local Aboriginal football team.
“This gives some idea of the energy he gave to local causes and is testimony to his belief, ‘think global, act local’, Rob Taber said.
Ned devised a new style of group work called a Social Development Practitioners Workshop. Annual workshops started in the 1970s and continue to this day.
“The inspiration for the Network is based on the principle that we need to use our potential for inner growth to benefit all people, and that citizen involvement is crucial to solving the challenges facing Earth and human civilisation”, Mary said.
“The focus of SDN workshops is the balance between the personal, the groups family spirit, and the wider ‘all-of- society’.
SDN has established a culture of effective support and a core of experienced members – wherein lies the true wealth of our network”.
The book is available from Readers Companion for $20.
