Stawell's Len Chivell has just received that honour, being recognised by the Stawell and district community and Northern Grampians Shire Council, for having provided fifty years of service to Legacy.

During his life, Mr Chivell has served in war, represented Returned and Services League branches and volunteered with service clubs across the Wimmera and Mallee. He has lived in Beulah, Hopetoun and Stawell.

Mr Chivell joined the Hopetoun RSL in 1945 and then, after war service, returned to working in the bank, before moving onto a property.

He gradually became involved in the RSL and was a delegate to attend conferences in Melbourne. For his service, Mr Chivell was awarded a life membership of the RSL.

Mr Chivell served on primary school committees and entered local government in 1970, remaining as a councillor until 1982. He then spent three years in local government in the early 1990s when amalgamation was introduced.

Invited to join Legacy in April, 1965, Mr Chivell has just entered his 50th year of service. In that time, he has attended 29 national conferences and well in excess of 200 annual handover functions. Mr Chivell spent nearly 39 years with Wimmera Legacy and then Stawell Legacy, which is also part of Ararat. He said he intends to be involved in the Legacy Week collection this year, for the 50th time.

In 1976, Mr Chivell was invited to become a charter Lions member for Hopetoun. At that time, he was Shire President and a Justice of the Peace. He served on the Shire of Karkarooc in the Southern Mallee between 1970 and 1982 and then again from 1991 to 1993, before councils were amalgamated in 1994 by the then Kennett government.

Mr Chivell was awarded Justice of the Peace status after becoming president of the Karkarooc and serving 15 years as a councillor.