Since coming to Bundanoon in 2001, Hugh Vanderfield has found four other alumnae of his old school, North Sydney Technical High, where his love of choral singing began. He well remembers the thrill of being part of the choir of 350 voices in the Sydney Town Hall, and was pleased to join Michael Flint, another ex-student, in the bass line when the Bundanoon Voices was formed. From there it was an easy transition to Serendipity for the boy who had formal piano training as a child ‘but was more interested in playing football’.

In his position of Australia Post franchisee in our town, with his mild, friendly manner so that no request seems a trouble to him, Hugh is probably more recognisable than many other of our choristers. Prior to his decade with AP he has co-owned and operated businesses in fields as varied as timber manufacturing, retail stationery and liquor stores.

Hugh is a football fan, both league and union, and his interests are as varied as his business experience: reading, music, metaphysics/spirituality, cinema, particularly Australian films, the Australian stock market and exploring – ‘we shall not cease from exploration’. He works on his own, 60 or 70 hours a week, so one can only wonder how he fits in everything else.

A proud father of his ‘wonderful children’, Hugh enjoys driving to visit his son and three daughters to celebrate family occasions with them. No doubt his psychology degree from UTS and his financial management studies at New England have played an integral part in raising his family. (writer: I could certainly have done with a psychology degree!)

Hugh really values singing in our community-based choir where friendships are forged and there is a real esprit de corps.