When Mark Ross was named Ballina Shire Council’s Volunteer of the Year at the Australia Day Awards, he didn’t quite know what to make of it. After all, he’d never sought recognition. But for the countless people he’s helped through floods, fires, homelessness, and hardship, it was long overdue.
This is the story of a man who’s quietly become a one-man support system for the people of Ballina Shire.
A New Start in Ballina
Mark arrived in Ballina from Sydney in his teens, part of a family of six kids constantly on the move due to his father’s army postings.
“We didn’t even have a house ready when we first arrived,” he recalls. “We lived at the All Seasons Motel for a couple of months. But the community—well, they just took us in. It felt like home straight away.”
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His dad eventually left the army and opened a video rental shop in Alstonville—the first in the area to home deliver VHS tapes. That spirit of service clearly rubbed off on Mark.
Graduating from Ballina High School, Mark dabbled in lawn mowing and worked at the Mobil petrol station on Cherry Street.
“I started out pumping petrol and ended up managing the place in my early twenties,” he says.
He honed his organisational skills by launching promotions and community events, while that inherent knack for connecting with people set him apart.
A Trade and a Turning Point
Eventually, he found his trade in tiling, specialising early on in slate work when it became popular with home decorators.
“I’ve been tiling now for 35 years,” he says. “Every job is different. I’ve never tired of it.”
But when the building industry had a slump about a decade ago, Mark faced a crossroads.
“There was no work. I thought, what am I gonna do? But I couldn’t go back to being told what to do. That’s just not me.”
So instead, he leaned into something else entirely—helping others.
A Flood of Compassion
It was the 2017 Lismore floods that sparked his journey into volunteerism.
“I set up a trailer at former Liberty Service Station on River St and called for donations. Every day it was full. I had to empty it three times daily.”
What started as a spontaneous act became something bigger. Through Facebook pages like Ballina Crime & Community, people found Mark, and he found purpose.
Then came the Christmas hampers.
In 2018, restaurateur Danny Singh reached out.
“He wanted to donate two hampers,” Mark says. “I told him I couldn’t choose just two people. So I put out a call for donations. That year, we delivered 30 hampers. The next year, it was 75.”
Since then, the support—and the need—have only grown.
Trust and the Human Touch
During the devastating 2022 floods, Mark became a lifeline. He distributed an estimated $150,000 worth of donated gift cards—no forms, no red tape. Just trust.
“People were traumatised. Other organisations wanted paperwork, IDs. But many had lost everything. I just said, ‘Tell me what you need.’ Sometimes I’d drive to their homes to see it for myself.”
He admits some of the things he did see and the first-hand stories he heard took their toll.
“One night I was chatting to a bloke and he asked me how was coping and I just lost it. The stories, the photos, the desperation… it was a lot.”
Still, he kept going.
A Community Band of One
Mark effectively became a one-man charity. Meals, clothing, furniture—even vehicles.
“Obviously I couldn’t do what I do without the support of so many others, particularly a handful of Ballina businesses that give big and never stop.
“I’ve had three cars donated. One’s a community car—insured, registered, and used by people all over Ballina. I’ve got a camper trailer and a caravan for people fleeing domestic violence or recovering from crisis.”
Recently, a homeless 17-year-old lived in that caravan in his driveway for three months. “She had nowhere else to go.”
Despite scaling back publicly, Mark quietly continues. He still collects meals from two retired women who cook for the homeless. He delivers them to the food bank or directly to people in need.
Small Miracles, Big Impact
Miracles, Mark believes, come when they’re most needed.
“The last time I thought about taking a break from it all, a guy offered me an electric recliner. I didn’t follow up at first. Then the next day, someone messaged me—his dad had cancer and needed one urgently and didn’t have the money to buy one. It was like fate.”
Though not religious or spiritual, Mark often finds meaning in these serendipitous coincidences.
Ripples of Kindness
Mark’s efforts have inspired others, including family members. His sister Belinda, visiting from Singapore for a family holiday soon caught the bug. Even his 81-year-old mum Marilyn, who once warned him to be cautious of rough sleepers, found herself buying food for the homeless.
“There’s something powerful about being able to help and to give,” he says. “Those ladies who cook meals for me that I supply to the food bank? They’re pensioners themselves, but they love it.”
He lives simply himself. “A $10 fishing rod works just as well as a $300 one. I don’t need much.”
A Voice for the Vulnerable
Mark is also an advocate for Ballina’s homeless. He believes there should be designated, dignified spaces—somewhere safe, with access to toilets, showers, and bins.
“You’re not going to get rid of homelessness. So why not support those who have no choice, rather than hide them?”
He’s had less luck dealing with some churches and charities.
“There’s a church with a large empty building. Kitchen, toilets, everything. Flooded once, and now it sits unused. Why not fix it and use it for emergency shelter?”
The Reluctant Hero
Mark never wanted the spotlight. But the 2023 Volunteer of the Year award helped others see what many already knew—that Ballina’s quiet achiever had been changing lives for years.
He’s tried to quit a few times. Burnout is real. But then someone needs a chair, or a place to sleep, or just a little hope.
And Mark answers the call—because that’s what he always does.
What a delightful man and a lovely read.