Director of the Western Region Environment Centre (WREC) and well-known community advocate Harry van Moorst has been farewelled with a funeral in Werribee on Thursday, February 17.
Mr van Moorst’s family, friends and acquaintances gathered at The Park hotel for a celebration of his life.
Many attendees wore campaign badges in tribute to the many causes that Mr van Moorst championed during his work and volunteering.
Instead of flowers, Mr van Moorst and his family requested that mourners make a donation to Environmental Justice Australia (EJA).
During 2011, Mr van Moorst – who was born in 1947 – was awarded EJA’s inaugural Environmental Justice Award.
After Mr van Moorst died, EJA issued a statement which described him as “tireless and extraordinary campaigner” who ran the WREC in Werribee for many years.
EJA worked with Mr van Moorst on various community campaigns in the western suburbs.
Prior to forming WREC, Harry led the Werribee Residents Against Toxic Dumps.
The group successfully campaigned against the construction of a toxic waste facility in Wyndham during the 1990s.
He also provided support for the Terminate Tullamarine Toxic Dump Action Group and the Nowingi landfill assessment, and fought against expansion of the Werribee tip, including as part of the Don’t Waste Wyndham group.
While he was a university student, Mr van Moorst was active in the anti-war and anti-conscription movement of the Vietnam War.
In 1968, he and others formed Students for a Democratic Society and in 1970, the Draft Resisters Union.
Details: www.envirojustice.org.au/in-memory-of-harry…/…
By Alesha Capone
