Bruce Ferguson once organised transport for Bill Clinton during a visit to Port Douglas, built the first Australian‑made Kenworth truck, ran an egg farm and owned several local transport businesses. It’s been a colourful life but he may have saved his most rewarding role for last.
These days, Bruce is best known for something far more grounded: collecting bottles and cans for the Port Douglas Neighbourhood Centre. What began as a way to keep busy has grown into a three‑year effort that’s kept 334,000 containers out of landfill — enough to fill a two‑storey home from floor to ceiling. He’s now aiming for 450,000 by the end of the year.
The energetic volunteer told DSC For You & Me his relationship with the centre began in the simplest way.
“Being bored one day, I drove past the neighbourhood centre and I saw a sign out the front which said ‘Volunteers wanted’ and that’s where it started,” he recalled.
The community has embraced his recycling mission. Resorts set aside their containers. One maintenance staff member pre‑sort bins. Locals call him with bags ready for pickup, and others drop them straight at his garage. Every container adds up, and the funds — now approaching $34,000 — go directly to the Neighbourhood Centre to support food relief and community programs.
Bruce also volunteers every Tuesday afternoon, helping unload the OzHarvest truck and set up groceries for distribution. But it’s the container collection that has made him a familiar face across the Shire and earned him the title of Senior Citizen of the Year.
The award came as a surprise.
“To be labelled ‘king of the old farts’ was something different,” he laughs.
“But it was good. And I thanked all the drinkers.”
He turns 85 this June, but he’s not slowing down.
“I can’t sit still. I’m sure it does keep me fit,” he says.
Bruce Ferguson has lived a life full of stories, but his latest chapter — helping his community one container at a time — may be the one that leaves the biggest mark.
