Simon Spiteri has spent his life in the western suburbs, starting out in Brimbank before moving to Hoppers Crossing and then Point Cook. The 46-year-old business owner and father of two talks to Charlene Macaulay about his work, family and hobbies
What’s your connection to Wyndham?
I originally came from West Sunshine, then Hoppers Crossing. We’ve lived in Point Cook for the past 20 years. It was either move to Caroline Springs or Point Cook, and my wife won! It’s close to the city, close to the beach, I like it.
You would have been one of the first residents in Point Cook, what was that like?
Not the first, but when we moved to Point Cook Gardens, it was all paddock and we’ve seen it grow from there.
How did you and your wife Anyeta meet?
I met her through another friend … and we took off from there. She wanted to get married in February and she was still 17, so we had to go to court and get consent from the judge. That was 25 years ago – it’s gone quick. We’ve got a son, he’s 19, and a daughter, she’s 17.
You and your wife run GJ Gardner Homes in Point Cook. How do the two of you work together?
We’ve been running this for four years now. It’s a bit of a struggle (laughs), but we work as a team. Sometimes you have your
ups, sometimes you have your downs, as with any relationship. But the major thing is you talk about it and you come out on the other side laughing.
What are your hobbies outside of work?
I like motorbike riding, I like to play sports – a bit of soccer. My daughter’s heavily involved in taekwondo, she tried out for worlds two years ago and placed 13th, which was a big improvement, and now she’s trying again this year.
What’s your favourite Wyndham restaurant or coffee haunt?
We love to go to Vivere at Point Cook Town Centre, Rendeavous.
If there was something you could change about Wyndham, what would it be?
The roads. They’re just building too much –which is good for us – but they need to keep up with the infrastructure of the roads.
