The Zadnik Pathology Room

Joe Zadnik was a tree feller and cattle farmer who lived with his wife, Martha, on Grand Ridge Road in Allambee South.

Originally from Slovenia, he emigrated to Australia after World War II without a word of English.  This had changed by the time he met his wife, Martha, who had also emigrated from Europe: English was their one shared language, as Martha spoke German.

When Joe and Martha moved to Allambee South from Noojee in the late 1970s, they found a place to call home for the last 35 years of their lives.  Their frugal and self-sufficient approach to life and farming, common to many in our district, meant that they left considerable assets to distribute when they died.

Joe and Martha did not have any children and as Martha had predeceased him, Joe’s will focused on supporting a number of causes which were important to him.
One of those causes was his local community:  he gave a gift of almost $225,000 to the Community Foundation in 2015.  The Zadnik Fund was created.

In 2020 the Board of the Community Foundation used the earnings from the Zadnik Fund to pay for an additional room in the medical centre facility that the Community Foundation was building, to house pathology services for the community.  

The gift that Joe Zadnik left in his will secured the availability of locally available pathology services for the Mirboo North community.  This is an invaluable service for locals, particularly for our older members or anyone suffering from illness, who might not have access to transport.  

Joe’s gift not only helped secure access to this important element of healthcare, it continues to contribute to the wellbeing of the community. The Zadnik Fund remains invested as a durable fund and in 2025 its earnings supported easing of financial hardship in the community through grants to local schools and food distribution organisations.