Mandurah real estate legend Kevin Green has celebrated his 90th birthday alongside friends, family and employees - while simultaneously reaching the milestone of over 50 years in business.
Kevin's Peel heritage dates all the way back to 1843, when his great grandfather Levi Green arrived in Australia as an orphan - eventually working his way to owning land in the Brookdale foothills between Pinjarra and Dwellingup.
Kevin himself made his way to the Peel in the late 1960s, where he opened his iconic brand Kevin Green Real Estate in 1969 on the corner of Pinjarra Road at the rear of Violet Sutton's shop.
When the business first opened it had only three employees: Kevin, his wife Jill and their old farming friend Ken Easton.
Now, the business has more than 20 core staff members as well as a number of other employees who work to service the Mandurah community.
Kevin Green Real Estate's managing director Emma Hutton told the Mail Kevin's "make your own luck" attitude and "knack for spotting a good opportunity" had been passed down from his great grandfather.
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"Kevin is a man of upmost integrity and savvy and contributed to a young Mandurah and fledgling business with aplomb," Ms Hutton said.
"His honest spirit and commitment to community involvement made many people reconsider their assumptions about the real estate industry in general."
Kevin said he recalled his first ever sale - a block of land in Silver Sands which sold for just $2,500 and that he was "grateful to a lot of good people" he worked with through the initial stages of his business before it took off.
The business moved locations a further three times after opening, finally settling into the current Mandurah Terrace spot in 1982.
"I always found the opportunity is there if you're willing to share," Kevin said.
"Things do change, you can either fight it or you can accept it."
Kevin's love for the Peel has been a constant throughout his life, with his early memories of going out at "Boggy Bay" on the Peel inlet to go crabbing.
"Crabbing was our life and a very social occasion," he said.
"Everyone you knew would go."
He also recalled going Kangaroo hunting with the Nancarrow boys near the Harvey estuary, with "feasts of kangaroo stew complete with bacon, potatoes and carrots".
Kevin held his seat as Outer Ward member of Mandurah Council from 1977-1980, which he said helped him gain a wider perspective and contribution to development within the region.
"We've got to be careful to look after it (Mandurah). I have no doubt that with good forward planning together with sensible protection of its natural resources Mandurah will continue to expand into Western Australia's premier residential and holiday location."
A penultimate moment of his birthday celebration was the announcement that throughout his career, Kevin alongside his team of directors and colleagues, had helped over 50,000 people find their home in the Peel, and had "written their way into Mandurah's heritage as a key homegrown business".
Samantha Ferguson
Samantha Ferguson is a journalist at the Mandurah Mail. She is an entertainment, sport, crime, community and education journalist with a special interest in investigative pieces and human interest stories.
Samantha Ferguson is a journalist at the Mandurah Mail. She is an entertainment, sport, crime, community and education journalist with a special interest in investigative pieces and human interest stories.
