Alan Jessop OAM (b. 1930) is known to Canberrans as the Salvo Man, having collected donations for the Salvation Army in the city for over 30 years. Jessop moved to Canberra from Sydney in 1988, by which time he had retired and was looking for volunteer work. He'd become interested in the Salvation Army's work while living in Wollongong, so he joined the Canberra City Corps of the Salvos and began collecting money outside what was then the Monaro Mall (now the Canberra Centre). Despite bouts of ill health, including cancer and heart disease, Jessop continued his volunteer work. Indeed, in 2022 he expressed his gratitude to staff at Canberra Hospital 'for keeping me well enough to collect for so long. Getting up, going to work, talking with people was what kept me going.'
It is estimated that Jessop has raised more than $4 million to support Salvos initiatives and programs in the ACT. Such is his status as a Canberra icon and the scale of his contribution to the organisation that, during the COVID-19 pandemic – when volunteers younger than 70 were the only ones allowed to work – the Salvation Army replaced the real-life Salvo Man with a life-size photograph and an electronic donation box. Jessop was the 2011 ACT Local Hero and in 2022 his contribution to his community was recognised with the Medal of the Order of Australia.
