Electrician Rory Miragliotta is Geraldton Rotary apprentice of year as new club president, committee installed

Geraldton electrician Rory Miragliotta has been named the 2025 Rotary apprentice of the year, beating a quality field of candidates.

The four finalists were last Sunday night whittled down to one winner at an annual Rotary Club of Greater Geraldton event at the Geraldton Golf Club, where a new president and committee were also installed.

Mr Miragliotta works in his family business, Miralec, which was started by his grandfather and one day he hopes to take it over and expand its operations.

“I‘m honoured to win the award as I like working hard and making my family proud by keeping on doing what I do,” he said.

“I want to run the business and evolve it further with a bigger team and maintain the good name. I came through the program at Nagle College called Jump Start and at 14, I first worked for dad when I was a student.”

Mr Miragliotta received a $1250 cash prize and a $500 tool voucher.

Runner-up was glazier Jackson Patten from Glass Co Geraldton, while equal third were jeweller Corinna Doust, nominated by Leon Baker Jewellers, and Kalbarri-based electrician Ethan Clarke, who works for Gantheaume Bay Electrical.

The award was started in 1964 and was first won by plumber-turned-car dealer Ron O’Malley.

Award co-ordinator Rob Mosel praised the quality of the finalists, saying their written submissions and oral interviews were “outstanding”.

Outgoing club president Hugh Lavery handed the reins over to former City of Greater Geraldton councillor Bob Hall for the upcoming year, while the new committee was introduced.

Robert Symington was named as the Ken Allen Rotarian of the Year while Di Gilleland, Dennis Gilleland and Jim Dillon were made Paul Harris Fellows.

Brazilian Rotary student Esther Barbosa Rosa spoke at the event, ahead of her leaving Geraldton this week after a year in the city, attending Geraldton Grammar School.

“What I will miss most is surfing and being able to walk on the sand and put my feet in the ocean. My home is seven hours from the sea,” she said.