Mick Lowcock

Michael John Lowcock OAM (born 4 December 1948) is an Australian priest.

Mick Lowcock

OAM
Born (1948-12-04) 4 December 1948[1]
Other namesFather Mick
Alma materPius XII Provincial Seminary
OccupationRoman Catholic priest
Years active1973 to present
Known forHis community work and his advocacy of multiculturism in North West Queensland

Based in Mount Isa where he has been the parish priest at the Good Shepherd Catholic Church since 1992, Lowcock is best known for his community work in North West Queensland, particularly among First Nations people.[2]

Life and career

Lowcock grew up in Bowen, Queensland and attended boarding school in Charters Towers.[2]

Lowcock studied at the Pius XII Provincial Seminary in Brisbane prior to being ordained on 10 August 1973 at St Mary's Catholic School in Bowen where he had obtained his primary education.[3][4]

After spending time in Ayr, Ingham and Townsville, Bishop Ray Benjamin decided to transfer Lowcock to a new parish.[2][5]

Relocating to Mount Isa in 1992, Lowcock has been active in the community which has included being the local police chaplain .[2][6] He is also credited with establishing a number of local services including a youth hub, local support groups for Murri people and the Jangawala Kitchen which provides meals to the homeless and to those in custody at the local police watchhouse.[2]

Lowcock also established North West Queensland Indigenous Catholic Services Limited, which provides assistance to the disadvantaged, in particular local Aboriginal families.[2]

An advocate of multiculturalism, Lowcock is also known for organising an annual multicultural festival in Mount Isa and for setting up a prayer room at the Catholic church to be used by local Muslims.[7][8]

A proposal was put forward by Lowcock in 2019 of a low-custody facility being established in North West Queensland to negate the expensive need of transporting prisoners to facilities on the east coast only for them to be transported back to Mount Isa for court appearances.[9] Lowcock's proposal was supported by state MP for Traeger Robbie Katter.[9]

In 2021, Lowcock expressed his opposition to a local hotel's plans to open a new bottle shop in an old Blockbuster store.[10]

Amid the crime crisis facing the Northern Territory town of Alice Springs in early 2023, Lowcock criticised the introduction of alcohol restrictions in the town as he believed the measures were encouraging people to travel elsewhere, including across the border into Queensland, to access alcohol.[11]

Apart from his role in Mount Isa, Lowcock was appointed the diocesan administrator of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Townsville following the death of Bishop Michael Putney in 2014.[12] Lowcock remained in the role until the ordination of Bishop Tim Harris in 2017.[12]

Honours

In 2001, Lowcock received the Centenary Medal in recognition of his distinguished service to the community.[13]

Lowcock received a Medal of the Order of Australia in the 2004 Queen's Birthday Honours in recognition of his service to North West Queensland through his role in the Catholic Church.[14]

In 2020, Lowcock was named as a Queensland Great.[15]

Lowcock was nominated to be the Queensland's Senior Australian of the Year in 2023 but lost to child protection campaigner Claude Harvey.[16][17][18] Harvey in turn was nominated for Senior Australian of the Year but lost to human rights campaigner Tom Calma.[19]

References
  1. Barry, Derek (5 December 2018). "Father Mick Lowcock celebrates his 70th birthday with Mount Isa". The North-West Star. Retrieved 9 July 2023. Colleagues, friends and parishioners celebrated Mount Isa Catholic priest Mick Lowcock's 70th birthday on Tuesday night.
  2. Mellor, Leonie (25 July 2021). "Father Mick is Mount Isa's priest with a purpose and locals say he's turning troubled lives around". ABC News. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  3. "Bishop's legacy lives on". The Catholic Leader. 3 April 2014. Retrieved 9 July 2023. Michael Putney was in his fifth year at the seminary and Mick Lowcock was in his first year of studies.
  4. "School history". St Mary's Catholic School. 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2023. Father Michael Lowcock was ordained on Friday 10th August 1973 in the grounds of St Mary's School where he had received his primary education.
  5. Moore, Blythe (30 April 2014). "12 Queensland's you should know". ABC Local. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  6. Campbell, Samantha (2 February 2022). "Father Mick Lowcock celebrates 30 years in Mount Isa". The North-West Star. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  7. Stephens, Kate; Bradfield, Elly (6 September 2013). "Festival celebrates cultural diversity". ABC News. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  8. Renault, Hailey; Tatham, Harriet (4 November 2016). "'I'd rather see us united rather than divided': Interfaith cooperation in action at Mount Isa's Good Shepherd Parish". ABC News. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  9. Miley, Jacob (15 May 2019). "The cost of a low-custody facility in Mount Isa should be investigated, a priest says". Townsville Bulletin. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  10. Waterson, Larissa; Andre, Julia (4 August 2021). "Plans for new liquor store slammed by Mount Isa locals who say the city has enough booze already". ABC News. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  11. Andre, Julia; Dobson, Emily; Waterson, Larissa (5 February 2023). "Mount Isa 'overwhelmed' with NT itinerants in wake of Alice Springs alcohol crackdown". ABC News. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  12. Ng, Emilie (11 May 2017). "Priest who looked after Townsville for three years Fr Mick Lowcock honoured at ordination of new bishop". The Catholic Weekly. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  13. "Award: 1118766". Australian Honours Search Facility. Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 1 January 2001. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  14. "Award: 1057142". Australian Honours Search Facility. Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 14 June 2004. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  15. "2020 recipients: Father Mick Lowcock OAM". Queensland Greats Awards. Queensland Government. 2020. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  16. Bowling, Mark (9 November 2022). "Fr Mick nominated for top award". The Catholic Leader. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  17. "Father Michael Lowcock OAM: 2023 Qld Senior Australian of the Year nominee". Australian of the Year Awards. 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  18. "Claude Lyle Harvey OAM: 2023 Qld Senior Australian of the Year". Australian of the Year Awards. 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  19. "Professor Tom Calma AO: Senior Australian of the Year". Australian of the Year Awards. 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
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