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Another hard day at the office ! Pictured ready to rumble on the golf course with Andrew Johnston ( r ) are ( from left ), Tony Dragicevich , the CEO of Capral Limited , Paul Fabian a great friend of cricket legend , Doug Walters and Dashing Doug himself . Photo : Kathryn Johnston .
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There have been many successful combinations in sport down the years . Think Torval and Dean , Lillee and Marsh , Ramadhin and Valentine , Lockyer and Thurston , Messi and Neymar , and the Williams sisters .
Here ’ s another dynamic duo to add to the list – Walters and Johnston . Walters and Johnston ? Of course , all of you know and revere one member of the duo , the inimitable Doug Walters , entertaining batsman and arguably the most charismatic character ever in Australian cricket . Johnston ? No , not jockey legend Malcolm Johnston , nor soccer great Craig Johnston but Oakville businessman , Andrew Johnston .
Andrew operates two thriving businesses - Riverstone ’ s Elite Security Screens and Doors and Elite Home Improvements at Baulkham Hills .
He has worked long and hard to steer the businesses into the successes they are , but he always finds a bit of time to follow two other passions – cheering on the Parramatta Eels and playing golf .
The two men met in early 2014 at a Doug Walters Foundation function at the NSW Cricket Club .
Over a few drinks they discovered both had a love of whacking little white balls and ended the evening deciding to organise an annual charity golf tournament .
“ Doug told me about the good work his foundation was doing in promoting cricket and providing equipment to clubs , mainly in the bush ,” Andrew explained .
“ I ’ m a member at Castle Hill Country Club and we got to work organising the first Elite Charity Golf Day which took place on the course towards the end of 2014 .
“ COVID put a stop to the tournaments in 2020 and 2021 but this year we bounced back and it was an outstanding success .
“ We had 100 players and another 40 joined us for the dinner and the prize
presentations .
“ What with the entry fees , raffle and auction prizes , I was so bloody proud to announce to everyone that we had raised $ 35,000 .”
The recipients this year were the Doug Walters Foundation , Windsor Rotary and 19-year-old Bronte Greentree , who has a mild version of Cornelia de Lange Syndrome ( CdLS ).
CdLS is a developmental disorder that affects many parts of the body .
Bronte ’ s mother , Samantha , is an administrative officer at Elite Home Improvements , so Andrew was naturally delighted to be able to provide much needed financial support to the family .
Down the years since that first meeting , Doug and Andrew have formed a strong friendship – so much so , that Andrew is always up for a trip to the bush to witness Doug hand out his largesse to cricket clubs .
“ One of those trips which readily comes to mind was a few years back when we went down to Lake Conjola where we were delighted to witness the laying of a much-needed synthetic wicket and the presentation of a bowling machine ,” Andrew said .
Since the inception of the Elite Charity Golf Days , the events have raised well in excess of $ 80,000 .
Once Andrew Johnston sets his mind on something , he leaves no stone unturned to ensure he succeeds in that venture .
He completed a four-year carpentry course at Werrington TAFE and joined forces with his dad , Jeff , who set up Elite Security Screens and Blinds .
Not only was Andrew handy at the sawing and hammering caper , he also had business smarts and five years later set up another business , Elite Home Improvements .
Jeff Johnston passed away in 2015 after a battle with cancer and Andrew took over the reins and has helped steer both businesses into becoming the leaders in their field .
Andrew Johnston – a winner in business and at play !
8 ISSUE 151 // DECEMBER 2022 theindependentmagazine . com . au THE HAWKESBURY INDEPENDENT