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A t Manningham’s inaugural Community Awards Ceremony held on 16 Sept 2025, Leon Moore, founder of the Laughing All Abilities Really Friendly Singers (LAARFS), was named 2025 Manningham Citizen of the Year. He was also awarded the Doreen Stoves Volunteer of the Year Award.
Moore was recognised for his tireless work in building a choir that now brings together more than 70 members each week. LAARFS supports people living with chronic conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, cancer, and dementia, offering not only the joy of singing but also connection, resilience, and a strong sense of community.
A Life in Music and Performance
Moore’s journey began far from Manningham, in the small Tasmanian highlands village of Tarraleah. Surrounded by rainforest and defined by close-knit community life, he grew up in a family steeped in creativity — his father an engineer, fiddler, guitarist, and an inventor; his mother a writer for the ABC.
After teaching violin and guitar at the Wadsworth Stanford Music Academy in Sydney, Moore moved into television, working six years as a senior offline editor with TCN9. He later relocated to Melbourne, where he wrote and directed a theatre restaurant show that ran for 18 months, while also spending more than a decade performing stand-up comedy.
Music, however, remained at the centre of his life. As a singer and teacher, Moore’s path took an unexpected turn in 1998 when he was asked to help dance students overcome performance anxiety. That work grew into coaching dancers, athletes, and professionals, helping them manage pressure and find confidence.
Building Inclusive Community
In 2009, after joining the Rotary Club, Moore was introduced by Mary Wooldridge, then Member for
Doncaster and later the Minister for Mental Health, Women’s Affairs and Community Services, to the Stroke A Chord choir. As musical director, he helped the group of stroke survivors find their voice.
Three years later, he established LAARFS to welcome people with a broader range of abilities. The weekly choir has since flourished, embodying Moore’s belief in what he calls the “drive to thrive”—
a quality he sees in people who, despite chronic conditions or disabilities, push forward with determination and joy.
Recognition and Legacy
This year’s Citizen of the Year and Volunteer of the Year awards acknowledge not only Moore’s
musical achievements but also his contribution to the wellbeing of Manningham residents.
From the quiet village of Tarraleah to the heart of Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, Leon Moore has dedicated his life to helping others find confidence, connection, and community through music.
