Meet Maurice Kriss — barrister at law and proud resident of Portland.

Maurice is the latest in our new series of articles on interesting people who have come our way after ‘escaping’ from somewhere or other.

It’s amazing just how many come to light when you look at the new faces of Greater Lithgow — but there’s no one with a more amazing story to tell than Maurice Kriss.

We made contact with Maurice after the first article in our series introducing Veronica Gilmer who relocated her graphic design business to Wallerawang from Sydney and revealed that at one time she had been a professional flamenco dancer in Spain.

“How amazing,” pondered Maurice, “that two former professional flamenco dancers had made their new homes just a few kilometres apart in a country town.

”For that matter, how many country towns have one flamenco dancer. 

OK, that may have been an amazing coincidence, but the truly amazing tale is the story of Maurice’s progress through the world up to this stage in his life — and it’s a journey of change that clearly has a long way to run.But back to the beginning.

Growing up in the West Australian port town of Fremantle Maurice was not all that keen on school so he tossed it in at age 12 and the next year upped his age to run away to sea for the life of a merchant seaman.

The life at sea took Maurice around the world including working on Antarctica supply runs before he jumped ship in Spain.

That’s where he encountered for the first time an art form that fascinated him — and so was born a lifetime interest in the dramatic skills of the flamenco dancer.

Back in Australia and with salt in his veins from his adolescent adventuring Maurice sought to return to the life of a merchant seaman.

“But the unions had been taken over by the Communists back then and no one was hiring Australian crews,” Maurice said. 

But the Royal Australian Navy wasn’t so fussy and Maurice signed up for a new direction in his career that led to action in the Malaysian insurgency.

With that little chore out of the way and after touring Australia with an international dance troupe Maurice pondered his future and decided ‘to finally get an education’.

Clearly he was not lacking in that direction either and eventually gained admission to university to study Law, coming through the ranks to be admitted to the Bar.

All at once the transformation was complete: Maurice Kriss merchant seaman, Maurice Kriss flamenco dancer became Maurice G. Kriss, Barrister at Law.

These days he specialises in criminal law.“Family law was too messy,” he says.But Maurice still had an itch to do more.

“It won’t be long before the Sydney area becomes truly unliveable and there’s going to be rush to the country areas,” he said.

“I wanted to get out an claim before the rush start the best locations are gone.

The criteria was to find a reasonable location in the country with access to Sydney and with town water, electricity and telephone.

Some acreage on the outskirts of Portland was ideal and it was there that Maurice’s continuing need toachieve gathered further pace.

Since his arrival he built a handsome two level home (with matching horse stable), created a quality B and B facility and set up a commercial rose garden.

He also has employed a secretary to do his bookwork from an office on the premises and heads back to his Parramatta suite when face to face consultation with clients is needed(In his spare time he coaches his employee in her own law studies).

This should have been enough for the average person but not for Fremantle kids who run away to sea at 13.

Maurice has constructed a free standing function center property with a fully equip  commercial kitchen and great views across the rolling rural country side.

The day the Mercury dropped in the tables were set up with white crisp linen and sparkling silverware but the venue is yet to host its first function.

That will occur on Armistice Day in November when Maurice plays host to a reunion of his mates from his Navy days.

And there’s more.

Maurice has a development application with Lithgow Council to construct a motel on the property with views over lake.

Quite a lifetime of achievement but the tireless Maurice still has worlds to conquer.

Back home just this week from a holiday in Fiji Maurice told the Mercury he purchased some land on the island with the intention of building a resort.

“When it’s built I’m naming the address as Portland Street,” he said.Nice touch Maurice.