SOLICITOR, councillor, mayor, lawn bowls pennant premiership player and Italian knighthood.
Lui Basile has gained a number of titles during his 44-year association with Kerang.
The long-serving community leader is now adding another role to his resume – retiree.
The solicitor recently completed his final day of employment at Basile and Co’s Kerang office – a business he helped form close to 43 years ago.
The former Swan Hill resident moved to Kerang in January 1973 after leaving Delaney and Dwyer, where he had spent the previous nine years working as a legal officer and studying by correspondence.
“I came to Kerang wanting to improve my position in the sector,” he said.
During his time with the business, Basile and Co expanded to the point where it had sub-branches at Cohuna and Swan Hill, with each location housing three qualified solicitors and three support staff.
Liu and his wife, Maree’s eldest son, Adrian will continue the family’s link with Basile and Co through its conveyancing arm, with Ros Baker and her staff focusing on wills and administration.
The Basiles are also in the process of moving from Kerang to Bendigo to be closer to their three other children – Kristina, Fiona and Simon – and their four grandsons, aged between four and 15, who all live in Melbourne.
“Whilst Kerang has been good to myself and our family, it is time to put our family first,” Mr Basile said.
The decision to leave Kerang to be closer to his family will end a 44-year link between the town and one of its major identities.
The former Borough of Kerang and Gannawarra Shire mayor spent 18 years as an elected representative on government, including two terms as borough mayor and three years as shire mayor.
During his time in local government, Mr Basile has led campaigns on a number of key matters.
“Obviously one of the biggest issues during my time with the borough was the push to amalgamate the Borough of Kerang with the Shire of Kerang, which we were strongly against,” he said.
“With Gannawarra, the ratepayer protests over differential rate figures were a major issue when I first came on council, with the ongoing drought and water issues all having an impact.”
Mr Basile was one of many councillors across Victoria who called on the Bracks and Brumby governments to provide compensation to municipalities affected by the decision that forced councils to not include water rights on rural properties as a rateable asset.
As a result of lobbying, Gannawarra Shire Council received $1.83 million during a four-year period to continue providing key services and projects whilst adjusting to the loss of a key rateable asset.
Mr Basile also played key roles with water management, thanks to being a Lower Murray Water board member from 1996 to 2002 and a five-year link with the Murray Darling Association between 2007 and 2012, holding national treasurer and national vice-president positions in this period.
One project Mr Basile played a key role in found a new role back in 2014 – eight years after being removed from its original location.
Mr Basile represented the Borough of Kerang on the committee to mark Victoria’s 150th anniversary in 1985, with his role leading to the development of Victoria Square and the installation of a fountain outside the Kerang Court House.
The fountain was removed in 2006 – during Mr Basile’s second term as mayor – and is now located in the pond at Atkinson Park.
“The idea of the fountain was good, but the final concept was not so,” he said.
Away from work and community roles, Mr Basile is a long-serving lawn bowler, playing with the Kerang Bowling Club for 40 years.
The current board of management chairman, the club’s recent Northern District Bowls Division Saturday Pennant Division Three title was Mr Basile’s eighth pennant success, adding to a previous A Grade singles title and 100-up championship win.
“I’ve been up there for major awards during my time with the club, but not had great success,” he said.
Despite living in Kerang, Mr Basile also played a key role in uniting Swan Hill’s Italian community, which led to the Italian government presenting him with a knighthood in 1978.
