Issuu

S PRI NG/S U M M ER 2018

Under a spreading Port of Echuca tree, the village smithy stands

Riverine

Herald

MBC

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The Greens. It’s the perfect place just to enjoy a drink, have a roll with friends or hosting a fun function, our clubhouse can cater for any occasion. The Greens features outdoor BBQ and function facilities that are second to none. See you at The Greens. Open from 10am daily. Never played, or require some assistance? No problem! The bowls department or one of the club’s qualified coaches will be on hand to help free of charge.

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WORDS

Welcome to E M. WE HAVE a lot of multi-taskers in the Echuca-Moama community. Vivienne Duck, editor vivienne.duck@riverineherald.com.au Ivy Jensen Kimberley Price Tyla Harrington Sophie Baldwin Lachlan Durling Charmayne Allison David Chapman

PHOTOGRAPHY Luke Hemer Sophie Baldwin

DESIGN

Brendan Cain Bella Considine Tanya Main

ADVERTISING Kristy Hayes Emma Mortimer Stuart Addicott Grace Angel Kerry Vevers

PUBLISHER Riverine Herald 28 Percy St, Echuca, VIC 3564 P: (03) 5482 1111 W: www.riverineherald.com.au facebook.com/ EchucaMoamaMagazine

People who wear two hats — sometimes even three or four. And those people deserve to be celebrated. So inside this edition of echucamoama magazine we have two different features. Echuca-Moama Theatre Company consistently pumps out stellar productions with thespians putting their hand up time and time again to be a part of each and every one. This edition we meet four company members who have put on a few different costumes during their time with EMTC and have been on very different journey’s which has led them to the stage. From the stage to the triathlon circuit Echuca-Moama is fairly talented. We say g’day to five triathletes from the Echuca-Moama Triathlon Club who, outside of training and competing, have very different day jobs.

There is a dairy farmer, business owners, a physio, golf professional and a concreter. But week-in-week-out they don their tri suits, swim, run and ride their way to some pretty impressive accomplishments. Features aside echucamoama is jampacked with stories about the people in our towns — in your towns. We meet the new blacksmith in town, hear about a heartfelt love story and the impact of an intense house fire. And the team of Riverine Herald journalists have once again produced a stellar edition for us all to enjoy. Lastly, shopping local is what makes our towns tick and without our advertisers this magazine would not be possible so once again I encourage you all to support those businesses in Echuca-Moama.

Enjoy,

Vivienne Duck Editor

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contents the fire in 8 Rekindling the Port of Echuca The village smithy was the industrial revolution in the heart of small communities such as Echuca-Moama back in our wild colonial days. And now the fires are once again burning bright near the wharf.

gave Gilbert the kick 12 Sport start his life needed Gilbert Wanganeen doesn’t plan to revisit his traumatic childhood, and was just as determined it was something from which he would protect his own children. Ivy Jensen discovered Gilbert’s life experiences are now benefitting an even wider circle through his role as social and emotional wellbeing officer at Njernda.

Best friends forever times fifty 15 They say once you have been friends with someone for seven years they will be lifelong. For Glen and Norma that has certainly rung true for the BFFs.

A long day’s journey into writing Richard McKenzie-Ross turned to books as an emotional defence but as Charmayne Allison discovered what

began with him all but hiding under his bed covers has blossomed into a new career as a children’s author, bringing him full circle in his life journey.

McLindon — the 24 Matt accidental actor Following a musical debut as the bashed man in The Good Samaritan (when he was in year five) the last thing on Matt McLindon’s mind for many years to come was making a comeback in live theatre.

attract on the stage 26 Opposites From a witch queen as a 12-year-old in her school play to Ursula in The Little Mermaid Jr Britney Evans has played some terrifying characters but as Charmayne Allison reports being a villain is the complete opposite to Britney’s true self, despite admitting to being a drama queen.

themes for 28 Reoccurring the reoccurring man It may have taken him four decades to realise his love for the stage. But as Ivy Jensen found out Gerard Oman is done taking his time and is now one of EMTC’s leading men.

is no limit to 30 There community theatre From Les Mis to Phantom of the Opera, nothing is too far-fetched for Barb Higgins. And as this life-long thespian told Charmayne Allison often it is the trip ups and improvisation which makes theatre, theatre.

hunt for a lost 32 The family treasure The Owen family didn’t sell the family cow for magic beans but they did trade in 10 Clydesdales for one of the first tractors in the region way back in the 1930s.

Did you say 22 38 Sorry. full ironmans? Sophie Baldwin tried to keep up with dairy farming triathlete Scott Foreman but quickly discovered there are very few people who could go the distance with this unsung marvel of the sport.

in a hurry to 40 Jezza’s get to the worlds Concreter by day and compulsive competitor at every other time, veteran triathlete Jeremy Walker told Sophie Baldwin about his campaign to crack the world championships.

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64 accidental 42 The Australian athlete It wasn’t Bec Cladingboel’s idea to jump in the Murray and start swimming but once she got past that this late-blooming natural was very quickly in the green and gold and on her way to the world championships.

golf pro who got into 44 The the swing of a new sport Steve Loader is a sporting professional but told Sophie Baldwin he did not mind admitting when it came to triathlon he was starting somewhere near the back of the pack — but slowly and surely getting better.

whole family just 46 The keeps on tri-ing What started as a social experiment has turned into a family obsession and there’s hardly a day goes past when one (or more) of the Lee family can’t be seen pounding the pavement, whizzing past on a bike or punching out laps at the pool.

The friendship forged in flame 52 Three friends, their pet cats and a new, shared rental. It should have been the start of some fun times but in just 15 minutes their worldly possessions and their plans would go up in flames and they could do little but stand and watch.

would not be surprised if 54 You you bumped into the banjo Out on the board the old shearer stands, Grasping his shears in his thin bony hand, Fixed is his gaze on a bare-bellied joe — Glory, if he gets her won’t he make the ringer go.

everywhere man has 59 The something to offer everyone You don’t have to be an Olympic athlete to benefit from a consultation with Warren Lowry but as Tyla Harrington found out, his experience at the elite end of humanity means his local clients will be getting some of the best treatment in the world.

people, ordinary 62 Ordinary lives but a classic love story Life doesn’t always play fair. Young sweethearts Julie and Herb could not make a go of things first time round, so when they reconnected more than 40 years later they planned to make up for a lot of lost time. Then fate intervened again writes Tyla Harrington.

citizen of the world 66 A(from first to third) You could be forgiven for not knowing Kym Kelly all that well. After all, he tries very hard to spend as much time as humanly possible on the road, always somewhere different, all over the world.

Dempsey Syndrome 70 The Sophie Baldwin is introduced to a feisty eight-year-old with plenty on his plate but he’s not letting any of it stand in his way as he gets on with his life.

Walking in her dad’s footsteps 74 Sophie Baldwin found herself enchanted by this crossover home design that has captured a classic, almost desolate, bit of the bucolic and the great explorer himself.

magic mature education 78 The – and having a go It was a case of back to the future as Sophie Baldwin meets one man who decided to go back and complete his education after walking out of academia 30 years ago.

Echuca to the 80 From third world. Again. Nyree O’Connor is in the business of helping people. And as Ivy Jensen reports the Echuca GP isn’t just treating her local community, she is going to the poorest of countries to help those in the third world.

WANT MORE EM MAG? Find us on facebook:

facebook.com/EchucaMoamaMagazine

EchucaMoama

Henry Atkinson believes education is the key to change.

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â€‰Rekindling

the fire

in the Port of Echuca The village smithy was the industrial revolution in the heart of small communities such as Echuca-Moama back in our wild colonial days. And now the fires are once again burning bright near the wharf. TYLA HARRINGTON caught up with the new smithies to hear their story >>

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UNDER a spreading Port of Echuca tree, the village smithy stands. The smith, a mighty man is he, with large and sinewy hands. And the muscles of his brawny arms are strong as iron bands. (with thanks — and apologies — to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow circa 1840)

NO, IT’S not Longfellow’s oak tree but that’s probably the only difference as the Port of Echuca’s two newest blacksmiths pump the bellows, forcing air over the white hot glow in the depths of their forge. Smithies Marty Veenstra and Oliver Baldwin arrived in September and week in, week out, from morn ‘til night (or thereabouts) there has been the wheezing bellows and ring of mallet striking steel. Longfellow may have been well read but our new smithies are media savvy — their Facebook group Blacksmithing for Beginners is followed by almost 80,000 people. All but guaranteeing a crowd; groupies and enthusiasts hankering to see the pair up close and personal as they go about their ancient and noble art. “I started it about four years ago,” Marty said. “There were a lot of people in blacksmithing groups that were starting out but weren’t getting the proper information so I thought I’d start a beginner group and concentrate on getting them the information and knowledge. “We got together a group of top blacksmiths around the world and we started giving advice.

“We had blacksmiths come in from everywhere, all levels of knowledge and experience, and it just snowballed.” A humble 49-year-old, Marty said he was by no means an expert, though he has been a blacksmith for more than 40 years. “Basically people think blacksmithing is a dying art so the knowledge we try and impart is how to build a forge, basic blacksmithing skills and safety,” he said. “There’s constructive criticism and we teach people how to do different projects. “It’s basically to help people along the way.” Marty started when he was about eight in his father’s shed. “I’ve only done it professionally for a couple of years but I’ve been doing it my whole life,” he said. “I used to make swords and axes for medieval re-enactments and I started doing that 25 years ago.” Today he makes “just about anything”. “I get people coming in with farm equipment they need fixed,” Marty said. “I do a little bit of artwork; make knick-knacks and bits and

pieces. You do just about anything people ask of you.” The day in the life of blacksmith starts with the forge, Marty explained.

“You don’t want to waste fuel on the fire so if it’s a cold day you warm your anvil a bit and then basically you start working.” The problem is, Marty said, blacksmithing can be really addictive. “Once you start doing things you lose track of time,” he said. “You get really involved in your work. It becomes a passion.” Marty said he loved that you could make “something beautiful out of something lifeless”. “I love the fact you can pick up any piece of iron and you can breathe life into a cold, dead piece of iron,” he said. “There’s pretty much no tools you can’t make when you’re blacksmithing. “It’s the king of all trades because you can make everything you need to do any trade.” That’s why Marty is trying to bring what some consider to be a dying art back. “A lot of people are getting sick of buying cheap tools and having them die very quickly,” he said. At the moment Marty is blacksmithing two or three days a week. “In Echuca we’re starting off on weekends but ideally we would like to have the shop running four or five days a week,” he said. “When they come into the workshop they can expect to see us making things, running the forge. It will be a friendly environment where they can ask questions and be informed as to how we do things. They can learn about the history of blacksmithing and how different tools are used and made. “We want to educate people and sell things to keep the shop running.” Marty’s partner Oliver, 23, has been a blacksmith for about four years and is known for the camping gear he makes. “Tripods, cooking utensils and kitchen ware,” he said. “I started out doing a lot of woodwork. I like doing things with my hands. I like traditional style stuff and I thought blacksmithing was the next step to taking it back to the way things used to be and making things by hand out of nothing.” So it seems fitting Oliver finds himself in the Port of Echuca — where history started. “I like getting out and making something useful or beautiful because you’re doing a trade that has been around for more than a thousand years and you’re doing it the exact same way it’s always been done,” he said. “There’s a lot of heritage and traditional stuff about it. Australia was built off the back of blacksmiths. Without them nothing would have got done — even your paddlesteamers wouldn’t have been built.

“Anyone can do it, put it that way,” he said. “It’s all about the technique.

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“While the forge is warming up, you get your tools out and ready for the day.

Oliver said you had to be fit to be a blacksmith but it wasn’t “too hard”. 11

“You work out what you are doing for the day and you light your fire to suit,” he said.

“And we (blacksmiths) are still here and we’re still useful. Getting something handmade in Australia — you can’t beat it.”

“If you learn the simple techniques, the core skills, then pretty much you can do anything. It’s just about practicing and getting better at it over time.” Though it does sound simple in the words of these two blacksmiths, if you get it wrong it could hurt. A lot. “I’ve had plenty of burns and I’ve had a few bits and pieces in my eyes,” Marty said. “Safety glasses are a must and hearing protection is a must … but the biggest danger is burns. It’s very easy to get burnt. “I’ve had a few serious burns (third degree).” It is why one of the first rules of blacksmithing is “beware of the black iron”. “When black iron has been heated in the fire, it can be up to 400°C, and look like it’s cold because it’s not red,” Marty said. “If you get a piece of black iron and put it on some bark it will start a fire. Anything that is black and has been in the fire you have to treat as if it’s hot. “We have an area in our forge where we put black iron and if you’re going to pick it up you either use tongs or use the back of your hand near it to feel if there’s any radiant heat. “But every now and again you forget.” Which brings Marty to the second rule of blacksmithing — don’t touch. “If you’re not on the ball, and if you’re having a bad day, the best thing to do is to turn the fire off and spend the day marking things out or cleaning the workshop,” he said. “It’s common sense, really.” Marty has taught a lot of people blacksmithing and says it is very therapeutic. “We have a couple of military veterans come in … they get to beat the iron and take out their aggression,” he said. “They are able to turn negative emotion into something positive.” When all has been said and made, for Marty and Oliver, it’s that feeling of working the trade and of being a blacksmith and making something useful. “We’re excited about coming to Echuca and re-awakening people’s knowledge about what blacksmiths actually do,” Marty said. “It’s a euphoric feeling. You get lost in it. It’s like you’re stepping back thousands of years. It’s almost … like a magical feeling.” Or, as Mr Longfellow would have put it:

For the lesson thou hast taught Thus at the flaming forge of life Our fortunes must be wrought; Thus on its sounding anvil shaped Each burning deed and thought. 

SPORT GAVE GILBERT

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THE KICK START HIS LIFE NEEDED

Gilbert Wanganeen doesn’t plan to revisit his traumatic childhood, and was just as determined it was something from which he would protect his own children. IVY JENSEN discovered Gilbert’s life experiences are now benefiting an even wider circle through his role as social and emotional wellbeing officer at Njernda

FORTY-TWO years ago Gilbert Wanganeen slammed the door on a chapter of his life he vowed never to repeat with his own children.

And naturally he sought; craved, acceptance. Which he eventually found through sport. Sport would not only be his emotional rescue throughout the tough times; it would also keep him on the straight and narrow. “My brother and I were very good at sport and that helped us to gain that acceptance,” he said. “I didn’t realise until later that my father was a very good footballer, so I think we got that from him.” Sitting in his office at Njernda — where he has worked as the social and emotional wellbeing officer for almost a decade — Gilbert recounted his often painful childhood, but minus the anguish, shame and resentment you would expect from someone dealt more than their fair share of trauma.

“I didn’t have any control over that. We just had to continue to find out what we could do.” Being the only two Aboriginal boys living in Woomera at the time, Gilbert and Michael quickly became victims of racist taunts. “They were looking at us and talking about us but we didn’t know why,” he said. Soon, the boys realised they were good at sports, which the Collins allowed them to play. “With six days a week, number seven was always a happy one because we were playing football,” Gilbert said. “It was something no-one could control and we were happy that we were doing it and we were good at it.” And sport, they discovered, was the great uniter. “We realised by playing sports and by being good at it, that we were accepted,” Gilbert said. “Sport made me the happiest out of all the things we did.” By the time Gilbert was about nine, the family moved to Goolwa.

“I’ve gone through my backpack, I’ve asked myself about how I feel about it all and I’ve got to the stage where I think forgiveness is the biggest tablet in the world,” he said.

“We found it very hard because we just made friends at

“It’s okay for me to say it but a lot of people can’t. There are worse things that have happened to people than what happened to me.”

“We had to learn skills in making new friends a lot.”

The youngest of eight children, Gilbert was only three when his mother died soon after childbirth. It was 1963 and the family was living in Clare in South Australia.

Woomera. Then we had to pack up and go to another place,” he said.

With racism rearing its ugly head again, Gilbert said he learnt how to stand up for himself. “I’m not saying it was right or wrong, but there were things we had to do to let them know that we wouldn’t stand for it. Had to stick up for ourselves,” he said. “When we were at Woomera, our parents taught us how to

“Our dad tried to look after all of us and he struggled with that,” Gilbert said.

fight. If my brother and I had an argument over anything,

“He struggled with working and trying to provide for us and there were a lot of things that went on. We were all happy kids around Clare but when my father started smoking and drinking, my maternal grandmother had to come in and look after us.

against each other.”

“She took us all on board but it became too much for her. So she brought in the welfare.” At the age of four, Gilbert and his brother Michael were shipped off to Port Augusta before being taken in by a middleaged couple called the Collins. In a frightening experience for the boys, they moved to Woomera. “We didn’t even know why it was happening,” Gilbert said. “Woomera was where the rocket range was, so we were going to school with Americans. It was all new to us something we had to adjust to and get used to.” The boys joined a Catholic school, became altar boys at a

they used to make us put on boxing gloves and have a fight As it had in Woomera, sport again helped the boys fit in. “Acceptance kicked in real quick because we were playing in a team with footballers, making friends and being good at it,” he said. As well as football, Gilbert excelled at soccer and athletics. In fact, Gilbert’s high jump record from the 1970s at Goolwa still stands. The family stayed in the town at the mouth of the Murray River for five to six years before moving again — this time to Renmark, where the boys could work as fruit pickers to save up money for bikes. “The Collins put the work ethic into us and we learnt a lot from them,” Gilbert said. “We had chores and had to keep our rooms tidy and do housework. Even if we didn’t want to do it, we had to because >>

there were consequences if we didn’t.

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Moving three times in that period, enduring racial slurs and bearing the brunt of regular beatings, the young Aboriginal boy never felt like he belonged.

“It was a completely different life,” he said. 13

Removed from his family at the age of four, Gilbert spent the next 12 years of his life in foster care.

Catholic church, had Holy Communion and were baptised.

WHAT I SAW IN THE MIRROR WAS THE TURNING POINT. I THOUGHT ‘WHAT AM I DOING WITH MYSELF BECAUSE IF I’M LOOKING LIKE THIS, WHAT DOES EVERYONE ELSE SEE?’... 14

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“The discipline was really rife. But that’s when we learnt there’s repercussions in the real world and learnt at a young age about what is right and what is wrong. That has always stayed with me.” During that time, Gilbert, who was playing A-league in South Australia, had to knock back a football career because the Collins did not want to move again. Leaving Gilbert to wonder what could have been. Michael, who was 17 at the time, had left home after he started drinking and getting in trouble with the police. And it wasn’t long before Gilbert followed. He still remembers the day clearly. “The mother had dished out a belting of some sort and I remember thinking I had received it for as long as I had, that I was immune to it,” he said. “I’d had enough and received my last one. I turned to my foster mother and said ‘Is that all you’ve got?’ Because I was immune to it and it didn’t affect me anymore. “She realised she lost that power and control and allowed me to leave at 16 instead of 18. “The day I walked out I needed to realise the book that was written for me in my foster care was done because I couldn’t control it. “I opened the front door, stepped through it and slammed the door quite hard just so I could hear it in my own ears to know that this was finished now. My promise to myself was that what happened in my life would never repeat itself.” Experiencing freedom for the first time was a challenge for Gilbert, who said he initially didn’t know what to do with it. “So my brother and I just got into trouble, getting caught up with other peoples’ choices, having a drink here and there. It wasn’t really bad stuff but things that were getting us caught up with police,” he said. “One day I got into a drinking session and I couldn’t handle it because I’d never done it and I tried to keep up. I realised that I wasn’t good at it and I looked in the mirror one day and had a good look at myself. “What I saw in the mirror was the turning point. I thought ‘what am I doing with myself because if I’m looking like this, what does everyone else see?’ That was the day I pulled myself out.” By the age of 17–18, Gilbert left Renmark to find his family. “I caught up with all my brothers and sisters who went through their own foster journeys,” he said. “It was good knowing I was accepted straight back into the family.” Gilbert spent the next few years playing football and working, in Whyalla and then Wedderburn, where he was recruited to play football in 1982.

By 1985, he moved to Echuca where he finished his football career — playing for Tongala and Kyabram in the Goulburn Valley league. He is proud to say he has been happily married to wife Lee for almost 30 years and they have four children and eight grandkids between them. “I couldn’t be prouder of my children, I love my grandkids and I respect my wife,” Gilbert said. “That’s special knowing I came from a big family that was all split up and dismantled to knowing what I have today. “My family is the most important thing to me. It’s not what I’ve accumulated and what I’ve got. My role as a father is to make sure I give my children the best chance at a better life, that I’ve given them love, hope, values, purpose and foundations. “Whatever happened to me in my life will never repeat itself and look what I have today. I tell my kids ‘you only have one dad so get used to it’. “They will never experience what I had to go through but then I own that and I choose to not let them see it or feel it because at the end of the day I just want them to have a better life than I did.” In saying that, he holds no blame or grudges. “I couldn’t blame my mother or father, my grandmother and I respect the Collins for what they did for me. I just had to survive it and get through it and learn from it,” he said. “I don’t choose to come out with anger or resentment. If I did I would have come out a different person. I left all that stuff I didn’t like in the home and I brought all the stuff I did need out of the home.” And he believes it was his mother who got him through the dark times. “I always believed my mother was with me. I couldn’t see her or touch her but I could feel her with me, knowing I was being guided and looked after,” he said. Gilbert is who he is because of his life experience; and through his work at Njernda he hoped to instill some purpose and belief into the lives of other indigenous people, including the Stolen Generation. “I’ve got a good understanding. I use forgiveness. I believe I’m able to work with people because if I still carried that bitterness and anger that would get in the way of my work,” he said. “With the Stolen Generation if we’re stuck with our why’s and don’t find out the answers, we’re forever wondering. Some people are able to, some just can’t. Some can forgive, some can’t. It’s okay for people to say just move on, but some people can’t. “Unless you make a choice about understanding your whys, then maybe you can move on.” 

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times fifty

BEST FRIENDS FOREVER

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They say once you have been friends with someone for seven years they will be lifelong. For Glen and Norma that has certainly rung true for the BFFs and as KIMBERLEY PRICE reports their special bond all started with their unmissable laughs FIFTY years is a long time by anyone’s measure.

as you meet them.

Glennis Swalling and Norma Young immensely treasure their friendship and still continue to regularly catch up and laugh about times past and present.

Norma’s children Brad, Wayne, Jan, Rick, Neila and Joanne were all within a few years of Glen’s children Peter, Jeff, Kevin, Mark, Glendon and Lyndy.

Glen, now 95 and 85-year-old Norma have seen many joyous occasions as well as incredible heartache throughout their five decades of friendship.

Their two youngsters, both being girls and only a couple of months apart, struck up a very close friendship from the get go.

“We’ve both lost a child and both lost our husbands,” Glen said. “But we just count our blessings,” Norma added. In 1968 Norma, her husband and their six children moved to Echuca two doors down from Glen who also lived with her husband and their six children. Both with the same number of children all at similar ages, Norma and Glen had many things to bond over. “We had a lot in common,” Norma said. “I remember the Swalling’s gorgeous little Lyndy knocking on the door and it was gorgeous the dear little thing asked me if she could play with my little girl, Joanne.

All the children attended Echuca East Primary School, so naturally Norma and Glen joined the Mother’s Club together. Throughout their half-century together, the two ladies have laughed their way through a huge number of shopping trips, afternoon tea catch-ups, outings to the club, but only one game of indoor bowls. “Glen used to play indoor bowls all the time and I tried once,” Norma said. “But the ball didn’t go the right way so that was the end of that.”

“They became really good friends.

“I never got my license because my husband did all the driving. I suppose he thought he wouldn’t want me to drive,” Glen laughed.

“They were five when they first became friends and they went to school together and played dolls together.

“Norma used to take us shopping in Shepparton as a special outing.

“All the kids seemed to line up in age.”

“Shepparton was the place to go to.”

The love these ladies have for the families is evident as soon

“And we just loved it,” Norma added.

WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, IT IS THE STRANGEST THING HOW IT ALL WORKED OUT

Despite the tragedies they have both faced, they’ve strengthened each other in the hardest of times and kept each other going.

“We seem to sense one another.

“My husband John was only 43 when he died,” Norma said. “We had only been in Echuca for about 18 months. “He was watching his boys play football when he had the stroke. “He had been having a bit of a flu so he went over for afternoon tea and had a cup of tea and swallowed a pill.

“We’ve been there for each other when things are down and when you need someone to talk to.

“We were very fortunate to live next door but one to the Swallings all those years ago. “Norma is very happy,” Glen said. “She’s always laughing. “And she’s a lovely mother. “She enjoys life regardless of the bad things in it.”

“He was looking up at the score and he collapsed.

For the past 50 years, Norma and Glen have laughed, cried, relied on each other and laughed again.

“I was working with Glen catering for the races so I wasn’t home.

With neither ever taking their friendship for granted, these two ladies have continually remained each other’s pillars.

“Someone came and told me that they’d taken John to the hospital so I went home and got his medication and by the time I got to the hospital it was all on.” Norma said the hospital staff were “running here, there and everywhere”. “They said from the time he got in, his blood pressure was jumping from too high to too low,” she said.

“There’s lots of happy memories,” Norma said. “I think when we first came, we were all just the same and so we all got along. “But it’s just as well we had a sense of humour.” “When you think about it, it is the strangest thing how it all worked out,” Glen said and the two of them just erupted in another fit of laughter. 

“The machine was keeping him alive. “If I had of been a bit earlier, apparently he was talking.” Twelve years later, tragedy struck the Young and Swalling households again. “We lost Joanne in a car accident when she was only 17,” Norma said. “Glen lost her youngest son in an accident five weeks before. “The day of Jo’s accident, she had been up to see Glen and she said; ‘oh Mum, Mrs Swalling is having a terrible day, you should go see her’. “But I couldn’t get there. “And later on I got the news she’d been in a car accident. “We were all so heartbroken. “So we’ve lived through all that together.” “Norma was helping me through mine and I remember some of her kids coming up with some cooking,” Glen said. “And it was no time after it seemed that Joanne was killed. “It was absolutely terrible.” Together Norma and Glen had persevered through enormous heartache to retain their incredibly strong friendship. With series of highs and lows throughout their lives, the two have remained side by side to support one another. Even today, listening to the memories the two share, it’s clear they have a beautiful bond like no other. “Glen is very special to me,” Norma said.

Restaurant

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“We’ve been friends for so long.

The one thing that has kept these two ladies together for fifty years has been their love of laughter — something they have become rather notable for.

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Richard Mackenzie-Ross turned to books as an emotional defence, but as CHARMAYNE ALLISON discovered, what began with him all but hiding under his bed covers has blossomed into a new career as a children’s author, bringing him full circle in his life journey AS A little boy, there was one place Richard Mackenzie-Ross felt truly safe. Snuggled in bed, the covers tucked up to his chin — with his nan reading to him from a storybook. Her warm voice, with its soft Scottish lilt, would soon send him off to a sleep lit up with dreams from the tales she’d spun. For Richard, those were rare bright moments in a childhood marred by heartache and instability. And it’s moments like these he’s channelled into his first three children’s books — I Miss You More at Christmastime,

Bath Time with Mr Penguin and Rylan’s Big, Muddy Monster Truck. But Richard’s story didn’t start in his nan’s spare room — it began 17,000 km away, in England. Born in London, Richard moved with his parents and siblings to central Victoria when he was two. And was only seven when he had his first, painful brush with loss — his mother walked out on the family, never to return. With their father suddenly forced to work seven days a week to support them, Richard and his five siblings were thrust into the foster system where, in and out of care, Richard clung to anything that felt like home. But heartache struck again at school when, blind in one eye, Richard became the target of bullying. Anxiety and depression set in; exacerbated each year when Mother’s Day came around. “Of course, everyone was going through their own stuff, but having a single parent, Mother’s Day was tough,” he said. “Especially back then, when schools didn’t really do anything for children without a parent. “Those who had mothers could have half the day off school to build stuff and go to the Mother’s Day stall.

“So we were pretty much left out. We felt different. Thankfully, nowadays they don’t have that. If you don’t have a mum, your nan comes, or another special person.” Four years after Richard’s mother left, she attempted to take the children back but the system refused her plea. Something Richard is still thankful for today. “Stability was really important and we’d gotten used to nan being like our mum,” he said. “And if someone had taken us away from nan — I just could never do that to my own children, after my experiences. “I’ve been in contact with my mum since then, and she’s apologised for walking out. But I was so young when she left, I don’t really remember it.” What he does remember is being 12 and discovering his love of reading and writing. Hazel Edwards, Australian children’s book author of There’s a Hippopotamus on My Roof Eating Cake, visited his school. Out of all the students in the class, she picked Richard to ask her a question. “I was the shyest student, so it took about five minutes for my question to come out,” he said. “I asked, ‘Do you need to be an experienced writer to write a children’s book?’ “And she said, “No. Whatever’s in your head; just write it down’.” Looking back, he sees that as the catalyst, the moment a seed was planted — although it would be another 15 years before he’d see that seed come to fruition. At that time, Richard was still facing hardship at school. Retreating further into himself, Richard found rare tranquillity at the local library, devouring any and every book he could get his hands on. >>

22 EchucaMoama

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>> And, every weekend he’d bring a stack back to his nan’s house for her to read in her soft, Scottish voice. Sadly, a voice that was silenced in 2007 when she died.

“Nan was a rock to me. Anything we went through during the week, I knew we could go to nan’s on the weekend.” Christmases became especially tough. A subject he used in his children’s book, I Miss You More at Christmastime — a story of missing someone special. “There’s a quote from Mrs Brown’s Boys, ‘You can be lonely in a room full of people when the one person you’re missing isn’t there’. “That was special to hear that, because that’s exactly how I felt about nan. At Christmas, I was just waiting for her to come around the corner.”

“He said having something to look forward to or to wake up to is what got him through. “And that’s been so true for me. Having the kids, meeting Tam has kept me going.” His children have also provided plenty of material for his books, which he finally started writing last year. “I’ve always had a big box of book ideas and Tam kept going through it and asking why I didn’t just write a book,” he said. “I also kept talking about the dream to my best friend Darcy Swalling, who said, ‘Just shut up and write it!’” Eventually Richard bit the bullet and sent off a description of a book to publishers Xlibris.

Looking at Richard today, it’s tough to imagine the hardship he’s endured.

“They said they’d love to hear more than just the description. But I didn’t have anything more,” he said.

But his challenging early life has left him anything but bitter or broken.

“So I finally just cleared the table, opened my laptop and typed for about two hours straight and got all three books done.”

Instead, he’s chosen to focus on the steadfast love he received from his nan, his Aunt Heather and his dad. And to celebrate the new love in his life — from his wife Tamara and their children Taylor, 7, William, 6, and Hayley, 4.

Bianca — Mum

Fleur Ferris — Author

Support, safety, courage

Work space, refuge, connection

“I have become more conﬁdent about getting out and meeting new people”

“My ﬁrst three books were written and edited in local libraries”

Campaspe Regional Library 310 Hare St, Echuca VIC 3564 Ph: 5481 2400 Website: www.campaspe.vic.gov.au/library

I Miss You More at Christmastime, Bath Time with Mr Penguin and Rylan’s Big, Muddy Monster Truck can be found on Kindle, Amazon and eBooks. Copies are also at Bean Roasted in Echuca. 

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“It took a lot out of me,” he said.

“I watched this interview with (TV presenter) Osher Gunsberg the other day where he talked about his battle with depression,” Richard said.

Just 17, Richard felt bereft, having not only lost his nan, but also someone he looked up to as a mother.

Three cheeky, energetic children who fill his life with joy — and keep him fighting.

Matt McLindon

— THE ACCIDENTAL ACTOR

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Following a musical debut as the bashed man in The Good Samaritan (when he was in year five) the last thing on Matt McLindon’s mind for many years to come was the thought of making a comeback in live theatre. But as LACHLAN DURLING reports, he did and local musical theatre is the luckier for it

NINETEEN years ago an apprehensive couple walked into the Shepparton Theatre Arts Group rehearsals and left thinking they wouldn’t return.

“Before STAG I hadn’t really been in a whole lot. I did one little play in grade five of the bible story of The Good Samaritan and I was the guy that got bashed up on the road — and that was my musical debut,” Matt confessed. “My first show since then was in 1999 for Me and My Girl. We came late to rehearsals because we had just met these friends in Shepp and they convinced us to come along. “Kate and I rocked up on the first night and there was this particularly strict choreographer. They’d been rehearsing for probably four or five weeks and we came in and she said right you two, jump up here and do this and this. “We were just there for a look and so it was a bit of a baptism of fire. We left that night thinking we’d never go back there again. “But Helen and Dale Janke coaxed us back up on stage and we haven’t looked back.” That moment was 10 shows ago. Now, the once-budding STAG thespian is slowly becoming a stalwart at the Echuca-Moama Theatre Company, performing in shows every other year. He, like many others, sees the theatre as his hobby and can’t wait until show season rolls around and the circus that is rehearsals picks up where the last show left off. But he said with four kids and a business, he couldn’t make it work without help. “Everything else in life takes a back seat. I couldn’t do it without Kate on the home front, some nights I would just get home at 6.45 pm, throw some tea down and head to rehearsals at 7 pm,” Matt said. “That’s a reason why I only did one every few years because it was a big thing on my front but twice as big for Kate while I shoot out the door and have fun — she’s been amazing. “It’s my sport. Some people have footy or basketball. But this goes for the five months and you know when it’s going to finish.”

Once a good guy, always a good guy — almost. As a loveable larrikin he could do no wrong but as an intimidating individual he had more fun. Up until 2007, Matt was always the nice guy in productions by EMTC or STAG, until he found himself in a strange world, where lashing out would bring applause — and accolades in the form of a Georgie award. He played Bill Sykes in the EMTC production of Oliver, and while he didn’t realise it to begin with, it was a role he would relish. “I’d always played the lovey-dovey role (in shows such as The Sentimental Bloke) and then I was asked to portray the mean and nasty dude and that was a whole lot of fun too,” he said. “There was this pub scene where Bill had to go around singing about how nasty he is and there were two parts to the song. “I was walking around pointing a walking stick at people. There were two parts and in between them there was a lull. Everyone thought the song was finished and started clapping. “So immediately I just turned around and roared at the audience ‘I haven’t finished yet!’ — everyone was questioning themselves.” Matt described this scene as one of his infamous ad-lib moments. A moment of terror which can be spun into looms of gold. “It’ s something I cop flak for. But it’s what I love about theatre, you’re just there and it’s live, it’s on,” he said. “If you stuff up a line or miss a page of your song you just have to keep going — you make up something. “There’s this moment of terror where you and the actor who has to bounce off you just look into each other’s eyes. “You get yourself out of your sticky wicket and then you throw them into one.” It’s a case of the clichéd line always ringing true — ‘the show must go on’. For Matt, the friendships actors build with one another is the greatest.

But there was something Matt didn’t realise was taking place at home while he was off gallivanting. It was a cunning plan, instigated by his wife Kate.

“I love that you get to meet a whole lot of different people from seven-year-olds to people in their mid-80s and anyone in between,” he said.

Two years ago, in the lead-up to his 40th birthday, Kate had begun compiling any newspaper clippings, Georgie Award nomination photos and anything else from the shows into one A3 folder.

“As well as the backstage, production and lighting team and the guys who put all the sets together, it really is a whole lot of fun.”

It was only after she gifted it to him that she told him of the many close calls she had, her own moment of terror where Matt would be walking in the door and Kate would be sweeping newspaper clippings off the kitchen table. Some would argue it was one of her greatest roles. For Matt, one of his greatest, or favourite roles, was when he first joined EMTC and their production of Les Misérables.

The book, his present from Kate, documents every role he’s had through the past 19 years, however there are still a few more pages to fill. “I’m just taking it as it comes but I’m looking to get into directing or set building. It’s important to me to pitch in for the whole thing rather than just rocking up for the onstage role and taking the accolades and moving on,” he laughed. “It should be an exciting 10–15 years ahead.” ✽

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But Matt McLindon and his wife Kate found themselves going back on their word, and he thinks it’s just as well they did.

“But all the rest were amazing. Such as Chitty Chitty Bang Bang when we hired a car from the Adelaide Theatre Company, and The Sentimental Bloke was a whole lot of fun — a joking role.”

The busyness of the theatre, the intimidating choreographers and the pressure, night after night, to deliver a show-stopping performance — it just wasn’t them.

“It was a really powerful show and it was my first in Echuca, I played Marius in that,” he said.

Opposites attract 26

ON THE STAGE

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From a witch queen as a 12-year-old in her school play to Ursula in The Little Mermaid Jr Britney Evans has played some terrifying characters but as CHARMAYNE ALLISON reports being a villain is the complete opposite to Britney’s true self, despite admitting to being a drama queen VILLAINOUS isn’t exactly the word that comes to mind when chatting with Britney Evans.

what’s stretched and challenged her to become the type of

She’s bright, bubbly and certainly confident.

Exactly the type of actor Echuca-Moama Theatre Company

But there’s not much of the miscreant about her.

wants.

actor who commands the stage and captivates audiences.

Still, say the word “villain” and her face instantly lights up.

“It’s too easy playing a character similar to me,” she said.

Because for this blossoming thespian, playing the villain is

“My friends find it really funny, because they say I’m so bubbly.

I’VE HAD MY OWN MENTORS THROUGHOUT THE YEARS AT EMTC. THEY HELPED RAISE ME, REALLY, THROUGH THOSE FORMATIVE YEARS — NOW I WANT TO BE THAT PERSON FOR OTHER CHILDREN “But I just love playing the villain.”

And in 2016 she mesmerised (and terrified) audiences as Ursula in EMTC’s The Little Mermaid Jr. “It’s been one of my favourite roles,” she said. “I put on this weird, sultry New Yorker voice. And although I didn’t have a lot of scenes in it, the ones I did have were — ah, so much fun. “And while I didn’t want to see children scared, it was great to look at the audience and see the looks on children’s faces. “It was good to see they believed I was the Ursula they’d seen in the movie.” Britney’s EMTC career began in 2012. It was the same year she starred in Miracle on the Bayou — but juggling two productions was a no-brainer for the motivated tween. Especially as she’d scored the coveted role of Tigerlily in EMTC’s Peter Pan Jr. “I had a friend who had been in the previous year’s production of Camp Rock and after watching it I thought, ‘I have to get involved in this’,” she said. “Usually kids who get lead roles are the ones who have been performing for years and years in the ensemble. “But I was very lucky. Because Tigerlily was a prominent enough role, I got more lead roles from there.” For Britney, it was a seamless transition from the audience to the stage. She admits, she’s always had a bit of the drama queen in her. “Since I was little, I’ve loved the spotlight,” she said. “Of course, when I was 10-ish, 12-ish I was a bit shy. But once you get on stage, you can be whoever you want to be.” It’s this affinity for the stage that’s equipped her with gifts many actors envy. She rarely forgets her lines. Doesn’t get nervous before a show.

Even now, Britney knows how to laugh about it. Because that’s show business. Mistakes will happen, but you just have to roll with it. But Britney’s career so far hasn’t been defined by mistakes — but by (often prominent) roles in EMTC’s productions. In 2013, she played the Ghost of Christmas Future and Ebenezer’s sister in A Christmas Carol. She was in the ensemble for My Son Pinocchio in 2014. The following year, she was an inventor in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. “I was an old dude, it was really fun.” And — her first proper lead role — she kept the audience laughing as Penny Pingleton in Hairspray. In 2017, she juggled two productions again, in the ensemble of Spamalot and playing Walter in Elf. “It’s been my most challenging role so far because, on a surface level, he’s a guy,” she said. “But also, the character itself is a lot heavier than the rest of the show. There’s a lot of emotional weight with the conflict between Walter and the elf, Buddy. “So I needed to be true to what the character would do, but also had to remember it was a kids’ show. I had to find that happy middle.” While Britney won’t be starring in any shows this year (completing Year 12 is enough), that’s still not keeping her away from EMTC. She’s been selected as one of the mentors for Madagascar Jr. Using her acting chops to inspire the actors of tomorrow. “I was really blessed that (director) Darcy Elliott gave me the opportunity to mentor and be a part of the casting panel,” she said. “I love the leadership role.

Although that doesn’t mean things always go smoothly.

“And I’ve had my own mentors throughout the years at EMTC. They helped raise me, really, through those formative years.

She’s still enjoyed one or two hilarious catastrophes along the way.

“Now I want to be that person for other children.”

So what does the future hold for Britney? “When I was Tigerlily in Peter Pan, I didn’t get on stage at one Until three months ago, her heart was set on the stage. point. I missed an entire scene, I’m not even sure where I was,” “I wanted to pursue acting at VCA,” she said. she said. “It was a scene where the boys had to push me in a boat onto the stage — but they couldn’t push the boat out until I was in it — or the scene wouldn’t make sense. “So while people were running around frantically backstage, trying to find me, the boys were really clever. “They started improvising, shouting from the wings, ‘The boat’s stuck in the rocks, lads!’ so they could hold off on

“But recently, I’ve become interested in film and television and becoming a producer or director,” she said. “I recently had a minor role in the short film Fire in the Belly and I got to see the behind the scenes of making a movie. “I love that when you go to a movie you know it’s not real — and yet you come to believe in that world anyway. So much goes on behind that.” ✽

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In fact, her very first stage role as a tender 12-year-old was playing the witch queen in St Mary’s production of Miracle on the Bayou.

“Eventually Abbey Williams jumped into the Tigerlily costume and took my place in the scene. Hopefully the audience didn’t notice.”

And play the villain she has.

pushing it out.

THEMES FOR THE

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reoccurring man It may have taken him four decades to realise his love for the stage. But as IVY JENSEN found out Gerard Oman is done taking his time and is now one of EMTC’s leading men “IT’S never too late to do what you love.” It only took Echuca’s Gerard Oman 44 years to realise his love for musical theatre. And he hasn’t wasted any time since. If he’s not working as front-of-house manager at Monkee and Co restaurant, raising daughters Ruby and Lulu with wife Amanda, the 49-year-old is acting, singing and dancing with Echuca-Moama Theatre Company (EMTC). “When I’m doing a show I usually walk down to the bush and belt out some show tunes,” he said. “It’s good because there’s no-one around and I can sing as loudly as I want.” The eccentric father-of-two thought he’d try his hand at acting, singing (and hopefully not too much dancing) when Ruby performed in an EMTC junior show in 2013. Auditioning for a part in Lil’ Abner the following year, Gerard nabbed the role of Dogpatch entrepreneur Available Jones. Fast forward five years and he has starred as a leading man in every musical since, including EMTC’s smash hit, The Phantom of the Opera. His highly acclaimed performance as Monsieur Richard Firmin — one of the two bumbling Opera Populaire managers — was not just a highlight for him but an indication of how far he’d come in such a short amount of time. “I never thought in my wildest dreams that after seeing it for the first time 28 years earlier that I would be in Phantom and it would be so successful,” he said. “It was a challenging role but I knew I could pull it off if I worked hard.” And hard he did — he never missed a rehearsal and was always one of the first to arrive and the last to leave. And that’s been the case in almost every show he has been involved in. In 2015, he had a health scare during rehearsals for Hairspray where he starred as the highly energetic Mr Pinky. He had to have surgery to remove a melanoma from his back and lymph nodes from under his arms. “I didn’t know what was going to happen while I was awaiting the results,” he said. “That made me a little tentative so I didn’t do anything too crazy and held back a bit. “But the results came back fine.” Gerard went on to tackle the role of the Toymaker in the

family favourite Chitty Chitty Bang Bang later that year, which he did with his usual offbeat humour. “I really enjoyed playing the Toymaker because Benny Hill played him in the movie, so I channelled a bit of him and snuck in a salute,” he laughed. “Plus that was the first show I did with Ruby so that was pretty special. “When we did the bows, I had a bit of a tear in my eye.” In 2016, Gerard improved even more — scoring a Georgy nomination for his adaptation of Public Enemy #13 Moonface Martin in the 1930s toe-tapping musical Anything Goes. Last year, Gerard’s love of Monty Python came to the fore — playing the hilarious (and not-so brave) Sir Robin in the very naughty and even sillier Spamalot. “I love Monty Python because it’s hilarious if it’s done well,” he said. “I got to do all those classic gags which I love. I’ve always been a bit dad jokey myself.” Humour seems to be a recurring theme with Gerard. “I guess I’ve always been funny and I like a good laugh,” he said. “Some people don’t understand my humour though. It’s a bit polarising and a little bit out there.” With his quirky personality, it’s not surprising he’s had a multitude of jobs — ranging from a porter at five-star hotels, bed salesman and marketing assistant for an ostrich company to the owner of a fancy dress costume shop, a painting apprentice and marketing manager for a satellite company — all before the age of 40. When he finally returned to his hometown of Echuca eight years ago, he worked for 18-months as a sales rep at The Riv and two-and-a-half years’ each at the former Oscar W’s and American Hotel before making the move to Monkee. And there is another recurring theme. “I guess I’m a people person,” he said. “Every day is completely different and you never know what you’re going to get. “I love the mix of locals and tourists and I like telling people about Echuca and promoting it as a tourist destination. “I grew up here and went to school here and it’s taken me 44 years and coming back to where I started to discover my real passion and that’s musical theatre.” And being involved with EMTC means he gets to hang around people with similar interests.

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I DON’T FEEL LIKE I’LL BE JUDGED BECAUSE WE’RE ALL A BIT WEIRD

“I don’t feel like I’ll be judged because we’re all a bit weird,” he laughed.

performing in Phantom. But here I am and I couldn’t be happier,” he said.

Gerard encouraged everyone to find their passion because “it could change your life”.

“It’s never too late, just look at me. Don’t worry about what other people think. Just give it a go or you’ll miss out.

“Five years ago I never dreamed I would be on stage

“Do something that makes your heart smile.” ✽

There is no limit

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TO COMMUNITY THEATRE From Les Mis to Phantom of the Opera, nothing it too far-fetched for Barb Higgins. And as this life-long thespian told CHARMAYNE ALLISON often it is the trip ups and improvisation which makes theatre, theatre DON’T tell Barb Higgins something’s impossible.

Gershwin and big bands.

Because she’ll do whatever she can to prove you wrong.

When she was 13, Barb had her first full-fledged performance, singing You’ll Never Walk Alone at a fundraiser for a hospital in Bendigo.

It’s no wonder the Echuca-Moama Theatre Company actor and director is always cast in strong female lead roles — from Ruth in Pirates of Penzance to Golde in Fiddler on the Roof and Kate in Kiss Me Kate. She’s anything but a shrinking violet. And more recently, it’s this gritty determination that’s seen her help direct, taking EMTC from strength to strength.

Even then, she didn’t suffer from shyness. “But I always get nervous beforehand,” she admitted. “I always think, ‘I could have done that better’. I suppose I’m a perfectionist. And those who have worked with me know as a director, I do tend to be pedantic about the little things.”

Turning lavish productions the company had previously only dreamt of into breathtaking reality.

Years later, Barb began singing at country music clubs and local dances.

From Les Miserables in 2002 — to this year’s stunning Phantom of the Opera.

But once those started interfering with her burgeoning social life, she stumbled upon musical theatre.

And while she’s the first to insist these productions were a team effort, it’s evident having Barb at the helm has helped see the company blossom.

And the rest is history.

Leaving hundreds of audience members open-mouthed with wonder.

Including Oklahoma!, which she’s starred in three times.

And many of her EMTC teammates with their jaws also agape as, year after year, she comes to them with new, ambitious proposals. “Les Mis has by far been the most challenging. It really broke new ground for what we were capable of doing,” she said.

Decades on, she’s starred in more than 50 shows and directed 11 throughout Echuca-Moama, Swan Hill and Ararat.

“You don’t get to be my age and not have done some shows a few times,” she said. But with 50 performances under her belt, there were bound to be a few hilarious hiccups along the way. Like the time the person operating the smoke machine got a little too keen in a production of Oliver.

“It’s a fully sung piece, there’s not a spoken word in it. So we had to try to tell a story through song, while still making it believable.

“It was the murder scene on the bridge. But there was so much fog no one could see anything,” she laughed.

“Plus we had to build a barricade we could spin and move around on stage.”

“We couldn’t see the sets, couldn’t see each other, so we were all just running around frantically through the fog, feeling our way across the stage and trying to find one another.”

But for Barb, ‘community theatre’ shouldn’t be synonymous with ‘limitation’. In fact, she believes the sky should be the limit when it comes to showcasing Echuca-Moama’s immense talent. “People often say the vision’s too big,” she said.

Or the time actors playing opposite Barb forgot two whole pages of dialogue. “The whole gist of the story was two characters had to come on stage and blackmail us,” she said.

“But that just sets you going, that just lights your fire.

“But they skipped the two key pages with the blackmailing. So we just had to improvise to help it make sense.

“Even if you have to bring things down a bit eventually, you’ve got to think big initially.”

“We started shouting, ‘They’re blackmailing us!’ and explained to the audience how we were supposedly being blackmailed.”

Barb was just a little girl when she fell in love with the stage. It was in the blood.

But Barb said these little trip-ups were often the most beautiful moments in her long career.

Since before she can remember, her family held singalongs and impromptu concerts.

Moments when, regardless what had hit them, the company banded together to work it out.

And there was always a record crackling away in the background, music of a hallowed bygone era — Cole Porter,

“One of the most poignant moments was in Ararat. A man playing Fagan in Oliver lost his voice completely because of a

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cold. He couldn’t make a sound and had two shows that day,” she said. “So one of the other cast members — a man with a small role who had never shared a scene with Fagan — offered to sit with the orchestra and sing and speak Fagan’s parts. “In the end, the man who had lost his voice acted and mimed, while the other man dubbed over the top. It was amazing. “It just shows that whatever happens, the show goes on.” And it seems the show will go on for Barb for a while yet.

“I may not always be on stage, but I certainly will stay involved with the theatre company,” she said. “They’ll wheel me out of there in a wheelchair.” Because for Barb, musical theatre is more than a pastime. It’s shaped her into who she is today. “You can find a line out of a musical for every part of life,” she said. “Musicals have informed and enriched my life. They’ve taught me so much.” 

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THE HUNT FOR A

LOST FAMILY TREASURE

The Owen family didnâ€™t sell the family cow for magic beans but they did trade in 10 Clydesdales for one of the first tractors in the region way back in the 1930s. Then this historic treasure was sold at a clearing sale, sparking decades of searching to restore it to its rightful owners. DAVID CHAPMAN has followed the hunt from go to whoa

CHILDHOOD memories of his grandfather’s old tractors inspired Trav Owen to embark on a remarkable search and recovery adventure.

It was mainly old Allis Chalmers tractors that Trav’s grandfather Gordon Sands loved to pick up for a bargain and restore to their former glory. Trav even pitched in to paint the vintage tractors Persian Orange and it may have been due to his inhaling of those paint fumes that Trav caught the restoration bug himself which led to him joining his grandfather on the hunt for even more Allis tractors.

“I chased down leads, tracked them down as far as I could. “Of the 25 of these models that came to Australia, I found 18 of them which I was stunned at.” Unfortunately, Trav’s grandfather died in 2004 before the tractor could be found but that only spurred Trav on further to find the Model A.

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“Mostly going for rides up and down the lane and, when old enough, having a drive,” Trav said.

“I’d always kept an ear out for it,” Trav said of the hunt for his grandfather’s tractor.

The Echuca-Moama car sales manager can remember spending school holidays at his grandfather’s Bamawm farm helping out with the tractors.

He and Trav would scour every Trading Post tractor ad and clearing sales in the hunt for the elusive Model A.

Armed with limited details, Trav asked around at rallies and clearing sales as he tried to piece together the clues that would eventually lead him to the Model A. It was at the Lockington Vintage Tractor Rally in 2014 that Trav got a tip-off which led him to a collector in Romsey.

But there was one tractor in particular the pair wanted more than any — Gordon’s original 1937 Allis Chalmers Model A.

“A man by the name of Mac Turner was introduced to me at the rally,” Trav said

It had been purchased brand new from Lanes Motors in 1937. Gordon and his brother Neil sold their team of 10 Clydesdales to upgrade to a tractor for use on their property near Sea Lake in Victoria.

“He was from the area the Model A had been sold to.

“It was the first rubber tyred tractor in the Mallee district and due to its novelty several photos were taken, which we still have,” Trav said. Only 1200 of the tractors were built globally and just 25 made their way Down Under. It was used to pull heavy ploughing equipment, threshing machines, harvesters and wool wagons. “My grandfather and his brother built dams so they also used it to drag a large scoop,” Trav said. The tractor continued to be the workhorse (in place of the 10 horses) on the family farm during World War II, with Neil in control while Gordon enlisted in the army to serve in the Pacific. On his return, Gordon was offered a Soldier’s Settlement block in Sea Lake, just five miles up from the family farm, which he developed into a nice property with his wife Joy. In 1952, Gordon and his wife moved to Bamawm where they purchased a small dairy farm on Middleton Rd but Neil kept the Model A in Sea Lake and took it with him when he moved to Wangaratta, giving it a new coat of paint to freshen it up in the 1980s.

“It was a few days after the rally that Mac had a lead on a collector from the area who wasn’t known to him but could be able to help.” Determined to follow every lead to its conclusion, Trav got hold of a phone number and after a few attempts contact was made. “It turns out the owner did in fact own a Model A Allis he bought from Wangaratta many years earlier,” Trav said. “So with a sense of anticipation, Trav clandestinely offered to take his grandmother Joy on a surprise road trip for lunch one day, which extended to Romsey. They arrived at the collector’s shed and expressed their mutual interest in Allis Chalmers tractors. “We entered the shed and on seeing an Allis Chalmers Model A there my grandmother mentioned to the owner that she and her husband had once owned a similar tractor that they had bought brand new,” Trav said. “The owner replied that this was, in fact, the very same tractor. “You can imagine the reaction when she was told the Model A she was looking at was the one Gordon had purchased way back in 1937. >>

The tractor stayed with Neil until his death in September 1991. It remained in his family along with his other Allis Chalmers tractors that had been collected in his retirement. The Model A was eventually sold to an unknown buyer and while he was disappointed, Gordon never gave up hope the tractor would one day be his again.

Gordon Sands (on the scoop) and Neil Sands (driving) working the land with their 1937 Allis Chalmers Model A tractor.

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Travis Owen and his mother Diane and grandmother Joy in June 2014 on the day they were reunited with the tractor owned by Joy’s husband Gordon and his brother Neil.

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IT’S CRANK HANDLE ONLY, BUT LITERALLY ONE CRANK AND IT WILL TURN OVER

Trav kept in touch with the owner — “I even sent him Christmas cards” — with an aim at buying it back one day when the owner was ready to sell. “When he did ring, it was not ideal timing,” Trav said. But after so many years of searching, he had to pounce quickly. “I just bought it and thought about it later.” And on April 9, 2017, the big day finally arrived and the Model A had finally returned to the family that had purchased it new 80 years earlier. After a busy couple of weeks cleaning and replacing the front tyres, the tractor was taken to the 20th Lockington Vintage Rally for a surprise reunion with the family. “Only my wife Belinda knew the tractor had been purchased,” Trav said. It had been sitting idle for 20 years but it didn’t take much to get it running again. “The radiator was a bit blocked up but I cleaned it, put water and petrol in it and got it running,” Trav said. After getting the tractor running at the event, it was discovered the radiator was badly blocked and to Trav that was a sign a full restoration was the next step.

Trav said the tractor was back to “as new”.

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“An understanding was reached with the owner that if ever the tractor was to be sold it would be offered back to our family.”

able to match it.”

“For her it was a total highlight. Just to find it again was enough for her.”

“Even the muffler is original, it hadn’t rotted out,” he said. “There were some modifications my grandfather and his brother had made and I left a lot of them on. “There are posts there for a canopy to put on and they changed the hitch system on the back and widened the wheels. “They were working in sandy soil and felt they needed more weight on the back end of the tractor.” The entire tractor is a heavy piece of equipment, weighing in at 3.5 tonnes. “Everything you moved or worked on was so heavy,” Trav said. “The radiator alone is 400 kg.” “My grandmother Joy is now into her 90s but still wanted to be part of the tractor’s story and restoration as she had been with all of Gordon’s tractors so she organised to have the seat reupholstered.” The tractor has survived three generations and the moment of reuniting it with the wife of the original owner was an emotional one for Trav. “It was disappointing not to get the tractor back for my grandfather after trying to hunt it down for so long but I kept looking and chasing,” he said.

“I stripped the whole thing down,” he said.

“There’s a lot of history behind it.

“There’s a chap at Illinois in the US, who specialises in Allis Chalmers tractors, and I was able to get parts from him.

“Uncles, aunties and even my grandfather’s nephew have come

“From the time of ordering to delivery to the door was eight days. It was unbelievable.”

“They’ve all told stories about the family history and my

The tractor has four forward gears and a reverse and a four cylinder dual petrol/kerosene 460 cubic inch engine. “It is rated at 50 horsepower, which was a lot for that era,” Trav said. “It’s a slow tractor, with a top speed of not quite 30 km/h. I’ve got another one of the same era which does almost 70 km/h so this is a real workhorse.” There is no electric start. “It’s crank handle only, but literally one crank and it will turn over.” Trav worked late into a lot of nights after work and plenty of weekends on the restoration to have it ready for this year’s Echuca-Moama Steam rally on the Queen’s Birthday Weekend. “It was pretty intense the last few months. It was only painted (in the original Persian Orange) a month before the rally,” he said. “It had been repainted a couple of times but we pulled the build plate off and found the original paintwork and we were

to look at it.

brother’s helped me out so it’s been a big family project. “It’s been good to keep my grandmother motivated. When the family get together they all yap about it. “I wouldn’t have thought it’d have the effect it has had to be honest. It surprised me.” There are a number of people Trav is grateful to for helping recover and restore the Model A tractor, namely Mikael from O’Neill’s Towing, Steve Paten’s Mobile Tyre Service, Echuca Radiator Centre and Ox at Panelox. “And of course my wife for understanding why we have a 3.5 tonne tractor in our garage and her help with the restoration, along with my brother and parents for their efforts and support.” The Model A now looks set to join the rest of the family’s collection of five Allis Chalmers Tractors and an Allis Chalmers Baler on display at the Lockington Living Heritage Complex. 

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SORRY. DID YOU SAY

22 full ironmans? SOPHIE BALDWIN tried to keep up with dairy farming triathlete Scott Foreman but quickly discovered there are very few people who could go the distance with this unsung marvel of the sport SCOTT Foreman is remarkably humble about his achievements in the sport of triathlon. After all there wouldn’t be too many people who could say they have completed 22 full ironmans, been to Kona in Hawaii twice and won their club championship 13 times. He laughed when asked, saying he doesn’t want to sound like a ‘nob’. But seriously, how awesome is that? Only .01 per cent of the population even completes an Ironman, competing and completing in 22 certainly puts you in a league of your own. Oh, and not to mention Scott also has the physically demanding job of being a dairy farmer as well — somehow he has managed to successfully combine the two for the past couple of decades. Growing up Scott was always interested in fitness and he came into the sport with a strong running background. “I have always been able to run fairly fast, over distance, at a relatively low heart rate which helps when it comes to triathlon so I would say running is probably my strongest leg,” Scott said. Initially Scott got involved with the sport as a bit of a social thing and as a way to get off the farm. He completed his first official triathlon in the mid-1990s. “I did that one in running shorts and nearly lost them in the swim — I never made that mistake again,” he laughed. Back in those days there was an event called the Country Series and Scott spent his first few years travelling the countryside competing in that and chasing points. It wasn’t until 2000 he decided to try out the longer distance events with a half ironman, followed the next year by his first full event. He was then invited to race at Kona in 2003 and 2004 and the Ironman has grown to become a significant and constant part

of his life ever since. “Kona was a highlight and Hawaii was a big goal. I have actually qualified half a dozen times but couldn’t go the other four times because spring is always a busy time on the farm.” Scott said back in those early days he took his racing seriously and used to travel to Bendigo to train. “There were a few of us that used to go down there and ride the hills which was great at the time. It was addictive in those early years and I would always be riding my bike, adding another loop and striving to ride further and faster.” Today it is nothing for Scott to jump on his bike and head off for a 100 km ride or a 20 km run around milking times, but he does admit as his responsibilities on the farm have increased, that has become a little more difficult. “Over the past few years it has become a lot harder to achieve a work/training balance. I have a physically demanding job and the stress of running a farm, but triathlon has always been a good outlet for the stress that does come with farming.” Scott remained humble about his achievements and almost seemed embarrassed when you ask what his fastest ironman time is, but at a staggering 9 hours and 20 minutes at Foster in NSW in 2005, that puts him well and truly up there with the professionals. In fact he has raced that event (which is now known as the Port Macquarie Ironman) 16 times, going sub 10 hours eight times. Scott’s commitment to the sport over two decades is simply phenomenal — not only has he made the big dance in Kona twice, he has also competed at the European Championships, in New Zealand and every state in our country. Scott said one of the best things about triathlon had been the friendships he has formed through the years. “I have met some pretty great people and while I enjoy the competing I also enjoy the social aspect — triathlon is simply part of my lifestyle.” ✽

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Jezzaâ€™s in a hurry TO GET TO THE WORLDS.

Concreter by day and compulsive competitor at every other time, veteran triathlete Jeremy Walker told SOPHIE BALDWIN about his campaign to crack the world championships in 2019

as furious. To achieve his goal he will have to race in two events in Melbourne in December and February as part of the 2XU series and a couple of other races.

“I love to win races but I also like to keep bettering myself. I have a physically strenuous job as a concreter and at times it’s hard to balance progression with my training and back it up with my work commitments.” As a self-coached athlete, Jeremy said it has been a huge learning curve during the years but he is well in tune with his own body and knows what works for him and what doesn’t. “It is always quite hard to fine tune my training so I gain that little bit of extra speed. “A lot of my training is fartlek — I did a training run the other day and 26 minutes of the 46 minute run was done at threshold pace. “A lot of my training is done pushing the red line.” But Jeremy said it is not just about training well, it’s also about the food he puts into his body. He tries to eat a balanced diet that gives him the right levels of protein and iron in his diet and this also helps with the important aspect of recovery. “I eat plenty of good foods including lots of fruit and vegetables and I have been able to work out what helps my body perform the best.” Jeremy joined the world of triathlon in 2013. “It was basically my wife Kelley’s sport but I thought I might have a go at it and once I tried it, I kept on going. “I like the fitness side of it and the journey of each event — each race is different and has its own set of challenges.” Jeremy has always been active, even from a young age. Through his primary and high school years he spent a fair bit of time involved in cross country and he described himself as a bit of a BMX bandit when he was younger. He also participated in some short course competitive swimming and raced motorbikes.

JEREMY Walker only has two speeds when he is racing — twitchy at the start waiting for the gun and flat out thereafter. Specialising in the shorter distance races, he trains fast and races even faster and having taken out last year’s 2XU triathlon series, he has got his sights set on going one further and qualifying for the 2019 world championships. Jeremy has just stepped up into the 40–44-year-old age group and he is expecting the competition to be just as fast and just

“When I was racing motorbikes I used to do a few spin classes for fitness and while it is not the same as riding on the road it has helped. I have never been one to do nothing but I think all the activity has helped me when I decided to get into triathlon. Jeremy has no plans to quit the sport in the near future either. “I have a few years left and if I make the worlds it will be great and I won’t have anything left to prove. “I might be able to ease back on pushing my body so hard and get into more endurance training, although personally, I do enjoy the shorter distance training compared to the longer stuff.” ✽

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“This is the next step for me. It will be challenging but I will just need to keep up my consistency and stay uninjured. If I make the worlds I might go on to try out the longer distance races in the future,” Jeremy said.

Then, depending on his standing, he might have to squeeze in a late race to top up his ranking.

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THE ACCIDENTAL

WHEN Rebecca Cladingboel competed in her first triathlon at Echuca in 2016 it was mostly because of her dad Geoff Bullman. He had died in 2013 but he always thought she should give the sport a go. Rebecca had competed in triathlon but always doing just the run leg as part of a team. It was Geoff’s dream to see her compete individually that eventually gave her the courage to give it a shot. Rebecca had no idea dipping her toe into the world of triathlon would see her representing her country at the ITU World triathlon Olympic distance championships two years later. It has been a bit of a crazy ride for the Echuca physio (and wife to Nick and mum to Isla and Ivy). She has come a long way from when she stood on the bank of the Murray River terrified about competing in her first race, the Echuca-Moama triathlon. “I remember standing at the edge of the river with my heart exploding in my chest and thinking ‘OK, if I can’t do this I will just breaststroke to the edge, get out and go home,” Bec said. “I also remember thinking ‘No, my dad told me 100 times I could do this, so I am just going to see what happens and have a go’,” she said. And have a go she has. That initial race sparked something in Rebecca and she hasn’t been able to let it go. Although it hasn’t all been plain sailing — it takes commitment to train, be a mum and work at the same time. “I only have a certain number of hours to train so I have to make sure every single one counts. I may not always be motivated but I definitely need to be disciplined and I guess I wouldn’t have been able to get where I am, if I didn’t love it and was so invested in it,” Rebecca said. Rebecca has literally spent the past couple of years of her life with her head down, bum up swimming, riding and running. That might include listening to readers while she sits on the wind trainer, running with the girls riding alongside her on their bikes or the girls practising their maths counting laps or working out splits. “I have tried to include the girls as much as I possibly can and

it has also been great for them too. They love tri training nights and they love going to events. “They were so excited to see me represent Australia and they have been counting down the days.” She said taking on a coach has been a game changer and had helped her improve across all three disciplines. It was also her coach who encouraged her to compete in the three qualifying races to make it to the ITU championships where she managed a second and two thirds. “Competing at the World Championships has definitely been one of my highlights to date and I am very proud of my 17th place finish.” “I was racing against the best in the world and the competition was tough.” Rebecca completed the 1.5 km swim in 24:19, 40 km ride in 1:05:46 and the 10 km run in 39:26 for an overall time of 2:14:07. She said competing in the championship has now given her the courage to step up to half ironman distance. “I know where my strengths are now. I am a stronger rider and runner and I think I have done as well as I can in the Olympic distance — the longer distances will suit me better and I am looking forward to the challenge of working my way up to my first half ironman.” While Rebecca loved the competitive side of triathlon she said it has also helped her professionally. “From a physiotherapist perspective I am very interested in how the body works, from heart rate and food consumption through to recovery and performance,” she said. “How the body reacts to training in different zones is also fascinating, “I am just so glad I had the courage to finish that first race. “My dad never had expectations; he always told me I could do whatever I put my mind to. “He was my rock and I am sad that I didn’t choose the sport until after he passed away. “He would have loved watching me and when I am competing and things get a bit tough, especially in the run, I always think to myself I’ll just grab onto my dad’s wings and off I will fly — he is always with me in my heart.” ✽

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It wasn’t Bec Cladingboel’s idea to jump in the Murray and start swimming but once she got past that this late-blooming natural was very quickly in the green and gold and on her way to the world championships. SOPHIE BALDWIN reports

Australian athlete

THE GOLF PRO WHO GOT

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into the swing of a new sport Steve Loader is a sporting professional but told SOPHIE BALDWIN he did not mind admitting when it came to triathlon he was starting somewhere near the back of the pack — but slowly and surely getting better STEVE Loader used to drive past the pool and could never help staring at members of the Echuca Triathlon Club training. He would always keep going, convincing himself he would never be capable of participating in a sport like that. But coming off five seasons in the master’s league for football, he was looking for a new challenge. “In the off-season I got invited to give triathlon a go and once I got there I found everyone really welcoming and it turned out to be the complete opposite to what I thought,” Steve admitted. And that was seven years ago. Steve describes himself as just an average everyday man, with no special abilities when it comes to swimming, riding or running. “I am not an elite athlete by any means. “I am just a plodder but nobody judges you by how fast you go and I think that is why triathlon ends up appealing to so many people once you give it a shot — ultimately you are not racing anyone but yourself,” Steve said. As a golfing professional at Rich River, Steve said triathlon and golf do have some similarities. “There are the concentration and self-discipline elements which are the same but you also have to stay in the present and you can’t get too ahead of yourself. “I really believe it is an achievable sport for any fitness level and to cross the finish line of a race is a struggle for everyone — everyone is hurting. “It’s just some people have the ability to go faster than others,” he laughed. Steve has always enjoyed swimming and that leg has never bothered him too much. “I am not a fast swimmer but I am capable. I was never a quick runner when I was young and I would definitely describe myself as more of an endurance athlete especially as I have gotten older — the longer distance stuff is so much more

appealing and a lot easier on the body than the sprint events.” And at 47 Steve has no plans of giving up the sport either. His ultimate goal is to one day complete an ironman and he firmly believed with age comes the ability to train smarter and much more efficiently. “To me an ironman is the ultimate achievement. To put your body and mind through something for 12–15 hours, well I take my hat off to anyone who can do that, I think it is just amazing. “My young bloke Aaron is 15 and he is part of the tri club so it’s a great way to spend a bit of time with him and honestly I can see myself doing triathlon for years to come yet.” During the off-season Steve keeps himself running fit and motivated by participating in the Johnno’s Run half marathon team. “Running is the lesser of three evils to me,” he laughed. He also said the advent of wind trainers has been a bit of a game changer when it comes to bike riding. “You can ride through the cold winter months in the comfort of your home; which is not only warmer but a lot safer than getting out there in the cold and dark.” Steve has been the president of the Echuca-Moama Tri Club for the past few years and it is that welcoming and inclusive environment that he first encountered, that he is determined to keep. He is also focused on encouraging the younger generation into the sport and the club runs a very successful junior program which includes a weekly swim, ride and run on a very safe off road course. “We have a great, family friendly club that offers members a great way to keep fit regardless of whether you are an elite athlete, a plodder or a newbie. Age has no bearing and you are never too old to start in triathlon. “We have so many great people involved in our club with a lot of knowledge who are more than happy to share their experience and skills with others.” ✽

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THE WHOLE FAMILY JUST KEEPS ON TRI-ING What started as a social experiment has turned into a family obsession and there’s hardly a day goes past when one (or more) of the Lee family can’t be seen pounding the pavement, whizzing past on a bike or punching out laps at the pool. SOPHIE BALDWIN reports

WHEN Nick Lee moved to Echuca with his wife Chris in the late ‘90s he got involved with the triathlon club as a way to meet new people.

get six bikes out of the ute. We would cram them all in and I

He never considered, not even for a moment, all these years later he would still be going.

Nick said.

He also didn’t think he would be joined by Chris — and at one stage all four of his children. “People used to laugh when we would drive up to training and

used to have to get there extra early to get everyone set up. It was great fun and it became a sport we could do as a family,” Nick came to triathlon from a riding background. “I did a couple of triathlons when I was at school and the Hawaiian Ironman on TV had inspired me, but that was about all when I first started,” Nick said.

Nick has competed in many events over the years including an Ironman back in 2001 (in the impressive time of 10:45). “Back then there was only one ironman in the country and you had to qualify through a half ironman to get the opportunity to compete. I can remember that half as being harder than the full and at that time, I managed to get the last spot in my age group.” Chris signed up to the sport around five years ago because Nick had been part of the tri club for so long, it just made sense to join in. “I came from a predominantly running background which was easy to do while the kids were young — it was a quick and efficient way of exercising while triathlon has been challenging. “But I love it,” she said. “It’s all about being better than I was last week and at training there is always someone there at your standard and the handicap system is great — that means you can mix it with the best without feeling like everyone is waiting for you. “I have found triathlon to be very inclusive of all abilities.” Like many people who contemplate starting triathlon Chris struggles with her swimming. She said it might be her worst leg but this year she has made the commitment to improve by getting some lessons at the pool. “I would just like to learn how to swim more efficiently and make that part of the sport a little bit easier,” she said. Chris has plans to compete in some races individually down the track although she said the thought of an ironman and riding 180 km doesn’t really appeal to her at this stage. Nick on the other hand wants to have one more go. “I am not retiring until I do another ironman, but I want to do it with one of my kids,” he laughed. The couple agree triathlon has given them all so much.

While some of Nick’s seasons over the years have been in his own words ‘spasmodic’, there hasn’t been a summer where he hasn’t been involved in triathlon. “I did get to a point where I thought I might stop but then the kids decided to start and then we had the whole family there and it was great fun,” he said. Nick said he can remember years when he swam alongside his daughter, jumped back out and then jumped back in to swim

“Apart from sore legs, triathlon has given me the determination to stick to things. I wouldn’t describe myself as a natural athlete but it is a sport anyone can have a go at. It has taught me time management and how to juggle work, family and training while giving me friendships and a great social outlet,” Nick said. For Chris it has taught her to face her fears. “Every Wednesday before training I feel a little anxious but I turn up and everyone is friendly and encouraging and I get it done.” ✽

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his own race. He has ridden mountain bikes and road bikes at different times but he said it’s never been about having the latest and greatest equipment, it has always been about the participation and having fun.

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THE FRIENDSHIP

forged in flame

Three friends, their pet cats and a new, shared rental. It should have been the start of some fun times but in just 15 minutes their worldly possessions and their plans would go up in flames and they could do little but stand and watch. VIVIENNE DUCK reports FIRE didn’t just rip through their home. It tore their lives apart. But that isn’t what makes these three women remarkable — it is their resilience. And what is now a lifelong bond. Addie Hamilton, Jessica Cootes and Gaby Moar got the keys to their new rental in Elizabeth St, Echuca, on July 12. Just after eight that first night their new home, with all of their belongings inside, was burnt to the ground. “Gaby and I came back to pick up Jess to go and get some dinner. I switched on the power and the power came on,” Addie said.

“My first thought was it is a chimney,” Addie said. While Addie felt sick to her stomach and Gaby froze once they realised the flames were coming from their house, Jessica kicked into fight mode. “She just said ‘right, Gaby you do this, Addie you do this’,” Addie said. “Gaby and I ran to the front door, kicked it open and saw there were flames,” Jessica said. “I went around and opened the garage door and Addie ran through while on the phone to the fire brigade.” “I tried to get in the front door to look for the cats but the smoke was just too much,” Gaby said.

“Addie walked back through the house, saw all the power was on, turned it back off and went to get Macca’s,” Jessica said.

“So I went knocking on neighbours’ doors trying to get hoses and buckets.”

“We were gone 15 minutes. When we came back we could see flames from up the road.”

Addie said they weren’t sure where the flames were coming from until they saw the back of the house.

“Once I ran through the garage I could see the kitchen and living room well alight,” she said. “I ran straight in, turned left, went in to my room and tried to look for the cats. “Stupid me went straight to the cat cage thinking they would jump back in there. But they weren’t.” The girls had a cat each and their safety was their first thought — even before their own. “I went in first looking for the cats and that is when the smoke got too much,” Addie said. “I went around to take a fly screen off. My thought was that I’m not going to smash a window because I don’t want to have to pay to get it replaced,” Jessica said. A fast thinking Jessica went inside to open the window in the hope she would save the cats. She most-certainly saved the only one to survive the blaze — Gatsby. Despite the women’s best efforts the heat was simply too much for them to handle. “We had singed hair, Jess lost her eyelashes,” Addie said. “The heat was insane. You think a bonfire gets warm but this was on a whole different level.” “It was indescribably hot and we were metres from the fire and our hair still got singed,” Jessica said.

“I shouldn’t have second guessed myself thinking where the cats were. When they are scared they hide and I just thought they would be on the ground. And they weren’t.” “It is just all the what-if’s,” Addie said. The fire destroyed everything. “Seeing it the next day in day light really just hit home as to how scary this actually was,” Addie said. “I broke down as soon as I saw my room because there was just nothing left.” “It was devastating. Everything was gone,” Gaby said. All their furniture was destroyed and the only things they were able to salvage were a few clothes. Two cats were dead inside the house, but one managed to escape. “He was shocked, he wasn’t moving. He was completely aware but was just too scared to move,” Jess said. “I had lost everything and the one thing I cared about the most had made it out,” Addie said. “It was so overwhelming and I am just grateful Gatsby got out alive.” Despite the pain and trauma the friends said they have all gained something out of the experience. “What’s done is done and we are just trying to see all the positives to come out of a really shitty situation,” Addie said.

The fire was so intense one of the fireman’s visors melted off his helmet.

“I’ve just gotten so much support from everyone, friends, family and community.

Despite their house burning down in front of them the women ran next door to alarm their neighbours in case the fire took hold of their homes too.

“You just realise the kindness of people,” Jessica said.

“We just wanted to make sure our neighbours were OK in case they were in danger as well,” Addie said. “We got everyone out and by that time the firemen were there and the ambulance. “The neighbours were amazing as well. A girl called Jess, I don’t know who she was, but she moved my car and gave me a jacket,” Addie said. “People were bringing shoes and blankets out and everyone was just amazing,” Jessica said. Luckily, no one was inside the home when something inside the roof caught fire. “I was kept under observation for four hours at the hospital but we were all OK,” Jessica said. In what was a whirlwind 24 hours, Addie, Jessica and Gaby reflect on that night with regret. “The worst part about it all is that we couldn’t do anything,” Addie said. “That’s what got me, if there was something I could have been doing to keep myself busy, I could have coped a lot better,” Gaby said. But for Jessica the regret is quite consuming. “I know I could have got the cats out, I am still regretting that, that is the worst part,” she said. “I could have gone back in but I just didn’t.

“I feel stronger. “Like I can deal with stuff. After experiencing that and knowing that I kick into gear in situations like that has made me consider more job opportunities even.” “I think I got offered about 20 different places to live,” Gaby said. “We are definitely all closer and I feel like because the way we coped with it was making jokes and we all approached it the same way has really brought us together. “We just kept thinking if you don’t laugh you are going to cry,” Addie said. “It has kind of given me a kick up the butt to actually move over to WA and be with my dad,” Gaby said. The three friends received overwhelming support from the community almost instantaneously. “Campaspe Shire were amazing, they offered us housing, they offered to organise any furniture they were just so helpful,” Jessica said. “If it wasn’t for the Moama RSL, where I have worked for four years, I wouldn’t have clothes to wear. They were amazing and were so generous in helping me out. “Going back to work for all three of us was really crappy but something we needed to bring back a bit of normalcy and get back into a routine,” Addie said. A few months on, the women are stronger, closer and ready to get back on their feet. 

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YOU WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED IF YOU

BUMPED INTO THE BANJO Out on the board the old shearer stands, Grasping his shears in his thin bony hand, Fixed is his gaze on a bare-bellied joe — Glory, if he gets her won’t he make the ringer go

IF YOU had just stepped into Lynn and Rowan Mason’s house you could be forgiven if you started looking around for some sheep. But there won’t be any shears going click, click, click because the sheep have been banished to the back yard. This isn’t a shearing shed, it is a home. One designed to capture that most Australian of bush scenes,

replica residence. Well, not the whole crew anyway. But there is certainly room for the family and that is exactly what the couple were hoping for — a place for theirs to gather and make many happy memories. Lynn and Rowan purchased their 1.2 ha block near Torrumbarry back in 2009 with the idea of building

the lonely shearing shed — a hive of chaos and activity for

something that would nestle in amongst the gum trees and

just a few weeks every year as the shearers, classers and

not impact the land at all.

roustabouts move in. And no, there’s no room for them either in this remarkable

“I came up with the idea of a shearing shed and have run with that theme throughout the whole house. I designed it myself,

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had plans drawn up and in 2011 we spent our first Christmas

quintessential Australian scene if you tried.

here,” Lynn said.

Lynn said her shearing shed house was everything she thought it would be — liveable, comfortable, peaceful and sustainable.

The house may have been built on an 18 square concrete floating cantilever as part of a fire restriction requirement, but it also gives the building an imposing and welcoming feel. The tin sparkles and glistens in the early morning sun while

“I just love coming up here and when it’s time to head back to Melbourne, I never want to leave,” she laughed.

the beautifully boxed timber window frames running along

Lynn said the house has definitely been a labour of love.

the outside wall draw your eye up to the stunning lantern top

Climbing up the steps and sliding back the big wooden door you step into a small welcoming entranceway and then into a stunning open plan kitchen and lounge room.

roof. The nearby gums rustle in the gentle breeze and the pet sheep walk off to get a pick of grass — you couldn’t get a more

“My dad was a surveyor who has built houses himself and he >>

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>> had a thing about hallways and what a waste of space they

meant a lot to me, it has gone from a sad home to a very

were.

happy one.”

“You will notice there are none here in this house except where you walk in.” Beyond the kitchen is a screened in wooden deck which looks out over the lawn and out to the gum trees and bush beyond. The house sits seamlessly amongst the bush landscape. “I was determined the house would fit into the environment but it was important to me it still felt welcoming and homely.” Old wares and family treasures dot the home, some acknowledge Australia’s shearing past while others acknowledge the family’s own stories. “My dad had a factory in Coburg in the 1970s and the old butter boxes came from there, while the old club lounge was made in the 1940s and came from Rowan’s family. Rowan bought the working shearing gear home in the back of a trailer while the big basket of fleece on the deck comes from the family’s own flock. The kitchen and cabinetry throughout the house was made by Echuca cabinetmaker Brendan Kelly. The feature of the kitchen is the beautiful glassed top island bench crafted to represent the sorting table you would find in any old shearing shed across the country. “I just love it,” Lynn gushed. “The timber was recycled from Cummeragunja which has

In fact Lynn has taken the indigenous history of the site so seriously she held a welcome to country ceremony before she started building. Lynn designed the splashback using old shearing stencils to print words that represent her own family’s history onto hessian, which has then been sealed behind the glass. The lights which sit above the bench were a bargain purchase for $3 each; while the wire light in the lounge room was made by Lynn. She was adamant you don’t need to spend a fortune on decorating as many of the items in her own home have been repurposed, recycled and definitely re-loved. As we walk around the house Lynn points out features and tells little stories about some of the pieces. The picture of a woman in one of the four bedrooms was picked up from a clearing sale at Perricoota Station. “We traced her history back to a poster girl back in World War 1 — I think you would politely call her an Egyptian burlesque lady,” she smiled. All of these little touches have been artfully incorporated into the décor which Lynn described as industrial. “I didn’t want the house to look like a museum but I have sort of gone with an industrial look and tried to choose elements that incorporate that style throughout.” >>

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Open 7 days

MEDICARE BULK BILLING OPENING HOURS:

Mon & Tues 8.30am - 7pm Wed, Thurs & Fri 8.30am - 6pm Sat & Sun 9am - 4pm Public Holidays 10am - 4pm We offer; General Health Check-up, Child Immunisations, Antenatal Care, Travel Vaccines, Women, Men and Childrenâ€™s Health. Male and Female Doctors available. Walk in or make an appointment.

Located within the Echuca Amcal Pharmacy

192 Hare Street, Echuca Ph. (03) 5480 2685

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Need to get rid of some scrap metal? Scrap metal can be weighed on our site at Hillside Road. We are buyers of scrap and non-ferrous metals. • Car and truck bodies • Fencing wire • Mixed scrap metals • Copper and brass

• Aluminium and electric cabling • Batteries, radiators and stainless steel

We clean up your site better than anyone else!

Lot 1 Hillside Road, Moama

5480 9143

Andrew: 0417 538 497 www.scrapmetalbuyers.com.au

>> Another feature of the house is the master bathroom complete with free standing shower and outside claw foot bath.

But the shearing shed home is definitely made for summer living. The lantern’s louvres can be opened to let the heat out and with the sliding doors thrown open to the deck and screened in from the summer bugs, the home is very much designed to cope with some hot northern Victorian weather. In fact Lynn loves her home so much she has decided to let others share in the tranquillity. “I thought I would give air bnb a go and it has been huge. We had a wedding here in March and we have another one coming up soon. The response has been amazing and we are booked out most weekends now until Christmas. “I thought I should let other people share in the enjoyment of our place before it becomes our permanent home in the future.” 

Antonio’s focuses the best quality produce crafted by talented chefs into modern Italian dishes. All pasta is made in house by hand, we specialise in wood-fired napolitana style pizzas. From the best imported Prosciutto, delicate and powerful Italian cheeses to classic Italian pastries made from nonna’s recipes, Antonio’s has something for everyone. We run with a select menu that changes seasonally ensuring that there is something new to always indulge in.

M O D E R N I TA L I A N Open 7 days for Dinner Lunch Friday – Sunday Seasonal Menu House-made Pastas & Wood-fired Napolitana Pizza 527 High Street, Echuca www.antonios.com.au Book online or phone 03 5482 6117 Takeaway also available, menus available online

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From the outside the bath is deliberately hidden behind what appears to be an outdoor stainless steel tank.

“The bath came from my daughter-in-law’s family home. We had a covered roof over the bath initially but we decided it was much better to leave it open to the elements. Of course you have to pick your times when you jump in there but it is beautiful on a summer night staring up at the stars.”

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THE EVERYWHERE MAN has something to offer everyone

You don’t have to be an Olympic athlete to benefit from a consultation with Warren Lowry but as TYLA HARRINGTON found out, his experience at the elite end of humanity means his local clients will be getting some of the best treatment in the world “I’ve been everywhere, man, I’ve been everywhere, man. ‘Cross the deserts bare, man; I’ve breathed the mountain air, man. Of travel I’ve had my share, man. I’ve been ev’rywhere ECHUCA’S Warren Lowry hasn’t been everywhere, but it’s not for the lack of trying. He has been to 37 countries, and countless places therein.

turned his home into a suitcase. But he did get to live the dream — at the Sydney, Athens and Beijing Olympics and would have been good for the London

But only as an accidental tourist.

Olympics until he broke his ribs in a football accident and

The main reason he has a resume to match a travel agent is his expertise as a soft tissue therapist.

could not fly.

And where the Australian Olympic and Commonwealth Games teams go, so Warren goes too. These days his life is a bit more relaxed — he has been based in Sturt St for a while — but before that his athletics connection

He has worked on athletes such as triathlete Emma Snowsill — a multiple gold medallist in the world championships and Commonwealth Games. And stepped in to help save another champion triathlete in Canada after she had a heart attack. >>

>> 62 EchucaMoama

But for Warren, 50, the highlight will always be marching in the closing ceremony of the Athens Olympics in 2004. “It was unbelievable,” Warren said. “There was something like 120,000–130,000 people there. It was crazy.” He also worked the 2002 (Manchester) and 2006 Commonwealth Games (Melbourne). “Most of the time it was just fun (working in the Commonwealth and Olympic Games),” Warren said. “It’s not harder work than what you would do working back home. You treat people for 30–45 minutes. They’d come as much as they want. “You get three buffet meals a day, and athletes would come in and book in. Then at certain times of the day they would come and say does anyone want to see the hockey semi-final?

Six months later Warren started travelling internationally with teams (mostly for triathlon) but also for baseball and Holden. “I worked with Holden on a V8 race and that was pretty cool in about 2002,” he said. “It (travelling internationally) was definitely a case of right place at the right time.

“It was really relaxed.

“But also, I think having the right personality.

“Everyone was so passionate and there were an incredible number of skills.”

“You’ve got to be able to do everything. Triathletes are just tiny and you can’t afford them to be injured so you have to be physically strong and you have to be mentally strong because often you’re working on jet lag. You might fly into a country and five athletes might want treatment at 2 am.

But of course with great power came great responsibility. Warren had to carry Emma Carney, a champion Australian triathlete, when she had a heart attack in Canada in 2004. “I was the only medical person there,” he said. “I had to carry her, she passed out in the rain, our phones didn’t work … there’s a lot of things that happen … a lot of times you are there and you’re the only medical person there.” Warren’s interest in massage started when he was working in the army as a physical training instructor. “I always had an interest in injuries, not that I had much wrong with me,” he said. “But in the army I learnt about anatomy and physiology and that sparked it. “I did a really basic remedial massage course, a TAFE course, then I walked into a practice in Deniliquin in 1991. “It’s funny when you first start out you think you know everything. “Now I realise as much as you do know there’s still just so much you can learn every day.” Warren eventually found himself in Griffith where he stayed for almost six years. “I had a placement at the Institute (of Sport in Canberra) for two weeks and just loved it,” he said. “One of the guys there, who was co-ordinating the place, said you need to be here. “I didn’t think much of it but then a month later he emailed me and said there was a job that has come up and he had recommended me for it. “I was a bit shocked because it was a dream come true.”

“That doesn’t happen all the time but there was never a set structure.” Back then, Warren said, he was working to make athletes better at their sport but now he’s working to make people better, full stop. “But with the same techniques,” he said. “Because the techniques are basic they are so successful.” Warren’s first job was with ACT Academy of Sport before he contracted with AIS and Triathlon Australia and Olympic and Commonwealth teams. When it comes to his profession, Warren has always been fiercely passionate. “If we’re not talking to our clients about how the environment is impacting them then we’re not doing our job,” he said. “People who have right side knee issues are often experiencing these issues from driving a car. “We develop different weaknesses on different sides of the body. People who drive a car will often prop themselves a certain way when they’re standing talking to someone. “Young kids come in and they’ve got pelvic tightness. They start driving a car and they’ve got groin issues or hammy issues and some of them are left footers. “You can’t just say it’s from kicking because some of them don’t even play footy. “We have to understand what impact the environment has.” Warren said it was about giving people value for money. “It’s no different to a mechanic,” he said.

IT’S NOT ABOUT THE MONEY, IT’S ABOUT MAKING A DIFFERENCE

until their next service. “Why should our industry be different?” Outside of work, Warren is a triathlete, father of two (Van, 8 and Joey, 7) and a partner to Nic Lock. “I train and enjoy mountain biking, swimming and running,” Warren said. “I’d probably do a couple of sessions a day, probably three closer to the season. “I’d swim four mornings a week, at the moment probably two

if the timing worked out. And another ironman in the next year. “I always said I’d do another full when I was 50,” he said. “I’ve just got to get organised and work out something in the next 12 months.” Today Warren doesn’t treat a lot of athletes. Instead he’s busy working on tradies, farmers, hairdressers or people in offices. But his motto hasn’t changed. He is still trying to get people better as quickly as possible.

strength.”

Whether he’s working on an Olympic athlete or an Echuca hairdresser it doesn’t change how passionate he is about what he’s there to do.

His favourite sport always changes.

And that’s to make a difference.

or three bike sessions and four run sessions as well as core

“Sometimes it’s running, sometimes it’s swimming and sometimes it’s the bike,” Warren said. Having already ticked an ironman off his list, and between 10–15 halfs, Warren was hoping to do another half this season

“It’s not about the money, it’s about making a difference,” Warren said. Warren has a provider number and can be contacted on 5480 1991. 

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“If a mechanic has done his job the person doesn’t come back

ORDINARY PEOPLE, ORDINARY LIVES BUT

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A CLASSIC LOVE STORY

Life doesnâ€™t always play fair. Young sweethearts Julie and Herb could not make a go of things first time round, so when they reconnected more than 40 years later they planned to make up for a lot of lost time. Then fate intervened again writes TYLA HARRINGTON HERB Neilson and Julie Mitchellâ€™s love story ended just before their happily ever after.

the man she met more than 40 years ago at a ball in Wyuna.

It was far from Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare did not write about Herb and Julie as star-crossed lovers; they will not go down in history or have their names read aloud in high schools.

It was a time when Julie, born in Echuca, admits she fell for a young, handsome (but older than her) Herb but her studies kept them too far apart.

But their story is true.

As fate would have it, they met again three years ago when their life together resumed.

Too true, unfortunately, for Julie who is now 62 and still lives at his Corop farm without

That was until one of their sheep kicked Herb in the eye in August last year which led to the

discovery of melanoma behind his eye.

Herb wouldn’t. The 74-year-old had surgery and appeared to be moving on. He hailed the sheep a hero, which it was, providing him more valuable months to raise awareness for a disease that takes too many. But then Herb unexpectedly died on July 31. While the cause is not known, Julie believes melanoma may have played a part. Herb had proposed to Julie in May and there were early plans of a wedding to take things back to the very beginning — dancing with friends and family — and listening to Family Rhythms, their favourite band. “We were engaged in May to be married sometime in the next 12 months,” Julie said. “But that didn’t happen.” Julie admitted since Herb’s death, life has not been the same. Reflecting on their time together, she said it was by chance they were reunited. “I happened to go out to the RSL club in Echuca. He had been going there every Wednesday night,” she said. The pair started seeing each other and in December 2016. Julie moved in with Herb. “I had my surgery (prolapse) so he had to look after me for six >>

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She had proved to be lucky.

Having been diagnosed with a stage three melanoma on her leg (and having it removed) in 2013; Julie instinctively knew where his story was heading.

“Mine had been there for years. It was an oval shape, wart-like sort of thing.” After Herb’s surgery, however, Julie said he was disoriented 66

grab hold of his arm and guide him.

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and she often had to tell him to “turn left the ute’s here” or “He kept saying ‘I can’t see’,” Julie said. But his doctor in Melbourne thought it might be another medical condition unrelated to his melanoma. >> weeks because I couldn’t drive,” she said. Ironically, roles reversed in August last year, after Herb was kicked by the sheep. “I had been to Peter Mac (Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre) in Melbourne,”’ Julie said. “I got back to Rochy that night and said ‘is there anything you need’?” After being kicked in the head, it turned out Herb needed a lot so Julie took him to Rochester’s hospital. “They put eye drops in his eye and the muck that came out was unbelievable,” Julie said. “They sent us off to Bendigo because they didn’t have the equipment to have a really good look behind the eye to see any extended damage because there was bruising and swelling.” Julie drove him to Bendigo to see an eye specialist where “they prescribed him eye drops”. “But I had a couple of appointments at Horsfalls Optometrists (Echuca) about three weeks after that incident and I said to him ‘you have one of my appointments’ so he did.” Herb was sent back to Bendigo for a closer look.

“He was starting to deteriorate a little bit more and a little bit more,” Julie said. Just before his death Herb was suffering from headaches and was experiencing outbursts of anger which was unlike his easy going nature. “He had migraines for two or three days,” Julie said. “He had tea Monday night, I had taken a Panadol Rapid and I went off to bed early. “I woke up about 1am and he wasn’t in bed, he was still sitting in the lounge room. “There was no verbal response and I thought things don’t look right. I tried to get him to stand up but he couldn’t do that. “I rang the ambulance … he was taken to Echuca hospital.” Julie arrived at the hospital between 4.30 am – 5 am when she discovered Herb had a bleed on both sides of the brain. “They rang Melbourne but they couldn’t do anything for him,” she said. “They said that his bloods were down and that he might not last the night.” Herb died the next morning at 8.40 on Tuesday, July 31, 2018. According to his death certificate, he died of a bilateral intraparenchymal haemorrhage.

“It was diagnosed as a melanoma behind the eye,” Julie said.

“It could have been from the melanoma,” Julie said.

“We went to Melbourne in October last year. He had surgery on December 1.

“Herb was a kind man, he was well liked. He loved his dancing.

“There were two choices with this, either get the eye taken out, or try this procedure. “The procedure was stitch a plaque behind his eye for four days and then they remove it and they send you off home with follow up check-ups. “That was going to be over five years. The last time we were down in Melbourne was about May 15 and he (the doctor) said as far as he was concerned, he was pretty happy with the job he had done and he couldn’t do anymore.” Having both suffered from melanoma, Julie and Herb started showing sheep at shows across the region, to raise awareness. “I didn’t have any lymph nodes taken out and I didn’t have chemotherapy, I was very lucky,” she said. “I’ve just finished my five year check-ups at Peter Mac but it’s something that’s lifelong. “People need to look after their skin and get regular checkups. I never sunbathed but it might have been wearing short summer dresses, and mine wasn’t sore.

“He’d do anything for people without thinking about it. He had a big funeral.” Herb was a shearer and a larrikin — he bought his own model shearer for the award he never won. He also bred Corriedale sheep and loved his pets. “He always said he would teach me how to shear,” Julie said. Julie grew up in Wyuna and went to primary school in Tongala before returning to Echuca for high school. She has worked in aged care for about 20 years, and says she is not sure where she will end up but hopes to continue to show sheep in Herb’s honour. Which will all but guarantee the legacy of the man she loved, and still loves, lives on. “It’s hard,” Julie said. “I have my good and bad days.” And with the sheep beside her (or not far away at her daughter Cheryse Kruszynski’s property) Herb — in a small way — will be too. 

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Rich in heritage and abundant in local produce, Junction is a gathering place celebrating the region’s finest.

Junction is a restaurant and bar located on the stunning Murray River in the picturesque Echuca Moama tourist district. It’s the ultimate escape—the perfect spot to enjoy sensational food, wine, cocktails and craft beer that showcases everything sophisticated setting. 6 SHAW STREE T, MOAMA NSW

t e l . 1800 806 777 e m a i l . info@junctionmoama.com.au

Junction is an over 18 venue OPENING TIMES

thur – fri · from 5pm sat– su n · from 12noon

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CITIZEN OF THE WORLD (from first to third)

You could be forgiven for not knowing Kym Kelly all that well. After all, he tries very hard to spend as much time as humanly possible on the road, always somewhere different, all over the world. LACHLAN DURLING was able to catch him between trips to find out what makes this latter day nomad tick >>

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>> TUCKED away in the cul-de-sac at the end of Echuca’s Mitchell St is a place where visitors are taken on a journey across the globe. While it may be the last place you’d expect to find trinkets and tales from around the world, the culture of more than 150 countries adorns the walls of Kym Kelly’s property and business, Echuca Gardens. His guests are not only treated to the serene gardens that lie in the middle of the property, right in front of the gypsy wagons and a historic cottage, but also the intrigue that lies behind each item on shelves which line the walls of Kym’s house. “What this represents is cultures all around the world. Wherever I travelled I would try and find something of that country, it may be in the form of dolls, transport, small musical instruments, whatever I could find which would tell something of the country,” Kym said. “I’d get so many of them and put them in a box and airmail them home. But unless you display them there’s not much point having them. There’s more than 1000 pieces here.” He began building the collection more than 40 years ago, starting a trip to London with a twist.

kicked out of Australia and so I was offered a trip to London via South America. “And that’s what started it all. I was in London for two and a half years and then travelled all through Africa.” He spends his summer working at his hotel and entertaining tourists in town as well as being a relief teacher when required. But during the winter months his days are far from the norm, taking off, five months at a time to meander his way through a foreign land. “I’m a veteran traveller, I come from outback South Australia, so distance means nothing to us,” he said. “I’m not a package tourist, I never have been. I think half the fun of going to places is reading up and doing your own research about places rather than being on an organised tour in a goldfish bowl with the whole ‘on the left is this and there on the right we have … alright, let’s go to the next place.’ “I’ve never been like that, I want to see a country, warts and all. Hence the reason it’s taken how long it has. I tallied it up the other day and I’ve probably spent a combined 10 years travelling the world.”

“I was offered a one-way cruise to London, working on the Russian cruise ships,” he said.

And those 10 years are compressed right into two rooms, lined with shelves filled with diary entries, photographs and those all-important treasures.

“It was at the time of the Afghanistan war. The Russians were

Hard pressed to pick a ‘favourite’, Kym said to him there’s a

I ALWAYS SAY TO PEOPLE IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHERE YOU’RE GOING THEN YOU CAN’T GET LOST. THE WORLD’S ROUND SO IF YOU KEEP GOING YOU’LL END UP HOME AGAIN

Shrunken heads, masks, a voodoo doll, artwork by village children, a painting on a bird’s feather, witchdoctors, the list goes on. But for Kym, some of the most significant pieces are the simplest. “The poorer the country, the more impressive their art and craft,” he said. “People talk about the poorer countries. Poor in what sense? Yes, they don’t have plasma screen TV’s or four-wheel drives but they are some of the happiest people. “I remember teaching these students, aged 5–15 years old in Ghana, West Africa. “Their toy was an old bicycle rim and the object of the game was to get it to the other side of the yard. “They were laughing, crying, falling over and skinning their knees. When was the last time you saw 20 children having so much fun? There’s a message there, don’t go judging though western eyes.”

“Out of nowhere came three Muscovites, one with a flute, one with a cello and one with a violin,” he said. “I couldn’t speak any Russian and they couldn’t speak any English but they put a music book down in front of me. “We had a great jam session and some people in the audience spoke English, and they asked ‘where are you going next?’ “I told them I had no idea and they said ‘you have to stay with my uncle’ in wherever, ‘my nephew would love to see that’. “That’s what travelling is about to me, it opened up doors to see more places.” And see more he will, even if it kills him. “I still plan on going to more places backpacking and I always say to people if you don’t know where you’re going then you can’t get lost. The world’s round so if you keep going you’ll end up home again,” he said. “Even if I have a Zimmer frame when I’m backpacking, I want to keep doing it. It’s more about attitude than anything else.” 

This mantra is central to his travelling. Kym said through the past 40 years he’s learnt to never take anything at face value and always keep an open mind. “When you travel, you see some amazing things around the world,” he said. “And you need to accept them for what they are. Don’t try to apply your western values or ideas onto things because every culture has a way of doing things and it’s all perfectly acceptable wherever it is.” But the most important lesson he can offer travellers is to communicate, even if you can’t speak the language.

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“When I went travelling all those years ago there was no Wi-Fi, there weren’t even tourist maps in a lot of these places,” he said. “And in some ways that was good because you learnt to communicate. We talk about the world being so connected but I would say we’re disconnected because we’ve lost the art of communication. “If you can speak English, Spanish and French you can go almost anywhere in the world, having said that, my real second language is music. “I used to play all over the world, playing pianos on cruise ships and in hotels everywhere.” A moment that stuck with him, among myriad others, was a stop in Moscow in the days of the Soviet Union. Kym and a group of friends found a grand piano in the hotel and his entourage demanded an impromptu performance.

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He also acknowledged each traveller is as different as the location and their tastes may vary.

He began playing and soon, others joined.

certain appeal to each country. Be it the food, music, art or landscapes.

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The Dempsey Syndrome You just have to be tough with a wicked sense of humour SOPHIE BALDWIN is introduced to a feisty eightyear-old with plenty on his plate but heâ€™s not letting any of it stand in his way as he gets on with his life

UNFORTUNATELY Dempsey Wells has had to do more things in the first eight years of his life than most of us will ever do — period. He has already endured 25 general anaesthetics.

“He might have gained a bit of height physically but his confidence grew a metre,” Lynne laughed. The next surgery he faces will be to get his hands and feet as functional as they can be.

He’s also got something else you haven’t. Dempsey has Freeman Sheldon Syndrome.

When he was young they were constantly giving him food

Not only don’t you have it, it’s a fair bet you’ve never even heard of it. Mind you, the little guy never complains, he just gets on with his lot in life, a surgery at a time. Determined and strong, the take home message about Dempsey is his wicked sense of humour and the fact his laugh lights up a room. FSS is a rare disorder that affects the face, hands, and feet — most obviously people with the genetic disorder have a distinctive facial appearance including a small mouth and pursed lips, giving the appearance of a ‘whistling face’ (the condition is sometimes called whistling face syndrome). Dempsey was three and half when he was diagnosed. While it is debilitating Dempsey takes it all in his stride, leaving his parents Lynne and Heath in awe of their son and all that he has achieved. When Lynne was 22 weeks pregnant a routine ultrasound revealed there were something not at all routine, and an amniocentesis and misdiagnosis then followed. “We really didn’t know what we were in for when Demspey was born — the doctors couldn’t really tell us,” Lynne said. Dempsey was born at 38 weeks after an emergency caesarean. He didn’t open his eyes for three days, had to be tube fed as a baby and had a peg until he started school. At 12 days old, he was put into casts because of his club feet. The first of his endless round of surgeries came when he was just nine months old. “Dempsey has had so many surgeries since. It has been such a roller coaster but he is such a tough little kid who bounces back every time. He has a crazy sense of humour and a wicked little laugh and a lot of the time we get pushed along by him,” Lynne said. But for all that it never gets any easier watching her little man being wheeled into another operating theatre. There are always tears; always fear of how it will go, how he will go. The last operation Dempsey had was an Australian first with a French surgeon pioneering technology to insert steel rods in his back. And Dempsey needed all his fighting spirit for that — he was forced to endure three months in traction to straighten his back enough for the operation to even take place.

so he would learn how to chew with his small mouth and crowded teeth. “We haven’t wrapped him up in cotton wool and we haven’t babied him along. He loves to camp out in the bush and he loves riding horses and motorbikes at his uncle’s farm.” With a cheeky grin Dempsey admitted he preferred the motorbike because it goes a lot faster. Lynne said Dempsey has achieved many things she never thought would be possible. “He has played football on the MCG with the Echuca Rockets and it was such a great feeling to see him running around playing football with a huge grin on his face. He never felt judged for one second and he just loved being part of that whole experience.” With independence comes school and Lynne said there were a lot of mixed emotions the day Dempsey first walked through the school gate. “He had walking frames at the time and I heard someone say ‘what’s wrong with that kid?’ and my heart just dropped.” Lynne said the family were living at Gisborne at the time and they decided to be proactive and introduce Dempsey and his condition to the school community. “We just said there might be some things Dempsey can’t do but still come up and say hi. It opened up communication from day one and was the best thing we could have done” When they moved back home to Cohuna they did the same thing. “The school community at Cohuna have been nothing short of wonderful and I am blown away by how accepting they all are. “The kids are always saying hello Dempsey — he knows more people than I do,” she said. Lynne said having a child with FSS had definitely made the family more understanding and compassionate. “Dempsey has taught us so much and I think we are a lot less judgemental and much more empathetic because of him and what he has been through. “He has captured so many hearts along the way and people have been just beautiful toward him and so supportive — it blows us away.” The family were also extremely grateful for the medical treatment they have been able to access at the Royal Children’s hospital.

The rods are designed to extend with his growth and prevent curvature of his spine (scoliosis) and kyphosis (exaggerated, forward rounding of the back).

“The orthopaedic surgeon told me he didn’t really know

Dempsey didn’t care about any of that, when he woke up he stood an incredible 12 cm taller.

“We are just so grateful to live in a place where our son can get

whether he would ever actually be able to get Dempsey to walk — he was the most severe case he had ever dealt with. the best medical care in the world.” 

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It has always been important to Lynne and Heath that Dempsey grows up to be as independent as possible.

That’s more than three a year for every year since his birth.

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Walking in her dad’s footsteps Tiarna Shepard has been following in her father’s footsteps almost as long as she has been walking but SOPHIE BALDWIN writes of late she has come out of the shadow of dad’s expertise and stamped her own mark in a world where art and welding come together EVER since she was a little girl Tiarna Shepard has followed her dad Mick around the dusty workshop. The hum of the welder, the heavy clang of metal and sparks throwing light into every recess in the old workshop, would not be the most typical of environments for a toddler to grow up in — but to Tiarna it was home and a much loved part of her early childhood. She has fond memories of helping her dad in those early years and as she grew into a teenager and now an independent young woman, that love hasn’t abated. In fact it has intensified and she now creates her own masterpieces. Like her dad, but not the same. The duo inspire each other but share a friendly rivalry and banter. “Dad used to say to me, Tiarna this is a man’s shed only, but he has adapted it for me and I now have my own area to weld with my own light above it. I love spending quality time with my dad out there and I love making something at the same time,” she said. Mick can turn a piece of old junk into just about anything, while Tiarna has focused her talents on making her sculptures entirely from cutlery.

“I am a bit like the spanner man (welding legend from Boort who makes life size sculptures using only spanners) but instead I am the cutlery lady,” she laughed. Tiarna made her first sculpture in Year 9 — the tree of life which also happened to win her first place in the junior section of the Boort show. She has been entering pieces ever since.

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Her 2017 creation, a body based on one of those old sewing mannequins, took her many hours and over four months to complete. Tiarna plasma cut out the back and began welding forks for the rib cage and it just grew from there — it is finished off with some decorative flower boobs. The sculpture is one of Tiarna’s best and she ended up winning the people’s choice

award at Boort. “I love using cutlery although it has to be stainless steel or else it gives off a dangerous gas when it is welded.” Tiarna said people often give her old bits and pieces of cutlery and when her mum opened a new set as a present one year, she had the kitchen draw emptied before she had it >> unwrapped.

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>> Unlike her father, Tiarna is a little more organised when it comes to creating sculptures for the show. Mick is planning on making his latest sculpture — an old car he is going to cover in steel with a welded giraffe poking its head out of the driver’s seat, within a timeframe of only three weeks. “It’s always a big few nights before the show and quite often the whole family is out here late at night helping me finish,” Mick laughed. Mick is a qualified fitter and turner by trade but has been dairy farming since the late ‘90s. He and his wife Catherine purchased the family farm in 2008 and Mick’s welding has become a welcome form of stress relief, especially over the recent tough times. “Cath will often come out to the shed and sees me weirdly staring at a piece of corrugated iron for ages but a couple of frothies and some good music always brings out the best in my imagination,” he laughed. Mick’s sculptures are made from whatever bits and pieces he can find, or whatever anyone gives him. “One day someone dropped off a ute load of rusty stuff for Mick, including the box thorn growing around it,” Catherine laughed.

He has made some pretty amazing things over the years including a three-piece band Catherine calls Metal as Anything, a pig and spider web inspired by Charlotte’s Web, a Ned Kelly, lots of different animals and an awesome fire pit/ ball made out of old rusty plates. Mick has never sold a piece of his work — they are all dotted around the garden or the farm. “He really likes to show them to people and it is definitely not about selling them to make money,” Catherine said. And it is that enjoyment that is at the core of why Mick does it. The Swan Hill–Melbourne rail line runs through their farm so Mick set up a group of welded minions alongside the track including one riding a scooter while another is a bikie. “It gives the people on the train something to look at and the local kids all rave about them. They love looking out for them every time they go on the train,” he said. Mick’s shed is full of welded body parts, half-finished minions, a fish and numerous pieces of rusty stuff waiting to be made into god knows what. He has a never ending imagination and with Tiarna following along (although not necessarily in his footsteps) who knows what other masterpieces will come out of this humble little artistic enclave in the middle of dairy farming country. 

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The magic of mature education — AND HAVING A GO >>

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It was a case of back to the future as SOPHIE BALDWIN meets one man who decided to go back and complete his education after walking out of academia 30 years ago as a 16-year-old. His transformation has been seamless and remarkable BRENDAN Lethlean left school when he was just 16. He returned 30 years later to study a bachelor of education, proof you are never too old to learn and never too old to change your career. You just have to have the drive and the commitment to succeed. Brendan had left to become a chef, back in the 1980s that’s just what you did. “I left school because a job came up and that was it,” he said. He didn’t ever think in his wildest dreams he would end up with a college degree but now he is just a couple of placement stints short of finishing. Turning the brain back on after 30 years out of the education system wasn’t easy and Brendan admitted the first couple of years were a bit of a struggle. “It was really hard to get my head around it all at the start and there were some very scary moments considering I had never written an assignment or referenced anything in my life,” Brendan said. “It was frustrating going from not being academic to studying for a degree. It was hard to understand the work and what was required from me,” he said. Brendan said he had to learn how to write, not waffle on, and stick to the facts. “It took me a while to get the hang of it and get my work to an acceptable level and I was just happy to pass but as I went on I even achieved a few credits.” Completing his degree online and part time, gave Brendan the flexibility he needed to be able to continue to work, but finding time wasn’t always easy which was why he decided two subjects a semester was more than enough. “I tried to study two hours a night through the week and use the weekends for some family and me time — sometimes I was so stuffed it was really hard to find the motivation but it was important to try and stay in front and not get caught behind because it is pretty hard to catch up.” Brendan said it was also hard at times not having a class environment to throw ideas around in but he found the online chat rooms helpful. He also got to know a few of the people who were studying the same time as him. “There was one man who was 55 and he was just starting the course. He was an engineer by trade and thought he was too

young to retire — he finished the course six months ago and is now teaching. He was a huge inspiration to me and I took solace from the fact he was 10 years older than me and having a crack at teaching. “He showed me you can do anything if you have some drive and push to succeed.” And recently completing a six week placement at St Joe’s College gave Brendan a real taste of teaching and what is ahead of him. “That put me right at the coalface and there were moments when I thought ‘yes, this is what I want to do’. I always thought I could do it, but actually getting in a classroom and participating gave me a better understanding of what is involved and for me, being older means I can use my life experience to my advantage. “Teaching is definitely something I want to do.” Brendan said the past six years have been tough and he wouldn’t have been able to do it without the support of his wife Melissa and his kids. “There were always lots of things going on in your life whether it’s personal or work but my family have supported me 100 per cent. The kids even said to me ‘good on you dad for having a go at your old age’,” he laughed. He acknowledged studying a university degree and going back to school at 46 might not be for everyone. His only piece of advice to others would be look into the complete course and make sure there were no surprises in the future. “You don’t want things to come up that can put you on the back foot, you really need to look into all the ins and outs and what is involved. “Online is a great flexible option but you have to have a good mindset and you have to be committed. “If you are stuck in a rut and want to change careers it can be hard but it just takes confidence and a strong mindset but having said that, I will be very happy to get this done.” 

FROM 80 EchucaMoama

Echuca to the third world. AGAIN

Nyree O’Connor is in the business of helping people. And as IVY JENSEN reports the Echuca GP isn’t just treating her local community, she is going to the poorest of countries to help those in the third world THE remote villages of Papua New Guinea are a world away from the consulting rooms of Echuca GP Nyree O’Connor.

Echuca hospital, supervising stress testing for Central Victoria Cardiology and helping to train registrars, the 34-year-old is certainly kept busy.

Yet that is exactly where Dr O’Connor will be heading soon — to provide training and medical care as part of a volunteer outreach program.

Yet she still finds the time to play flute and bassoon in the

Where she finds the time, is the question.

church life at Echuca’s Holy Trinity Anglican Church.

Between consulting at Echuca-Moama Family Medical Practice, working in emergency and managing inpatients at

And in November, the doctor will head over to PNG to

Goulburn Valley Concert Orchestra in Shepparton and enjoy

volunteer with YWAM Medical Ships Australia.

THE HARDEST THING IS SEEING PEOPLE UNWELL WITH THINGS THAT COULD BE TREATED IF THEY WERE HERE IN AUSTRALIA For the third time.

On one occasion she was helicoptered into a village that hadn’t been visited by a health worker for three years. “There are obviously sanitation issues and access to food and malnutrition that does occur. There’s a fairly high burden of infectious diseases, including malaria, TB and HIV. Which are things we don’t have to worry about so much here,” she said. “The hardest thing is seeing people unwell with things that could be treated if they were here in Australia. “But because they live so remotely there and they don’t have the money to get to the city and pay to get the treatment, they end up having a reduced quality of life or dying early. “When I was there the first time, there was a little girl who may have been five or so who had HIV. “She’d obviously got it from her mother at birth. But if she was in the city she would have been able to access treatment but because of how remote they were, she couldn’t access it and she wasn’t going to last very long and that was really heartbreaking. “You also see a number of kids with congenital abnormalities that could be surgically fixed, but once again they just don’t have access to that and therefore some of them may not be able to walk or speak properly. It really affects their quality of life and it is stuff that can be fixed. That’s the hardest part.” These are the same issues she will be faced with when she heads to the Gulf province at the end of November for two weeks. “The Gulf province is a bit poorer than the other two provinces so I expect to see a higher burden of illness,” she said. “We often end up treating a lot of kids for the standard infections that require antibiotics. And of course there’ll be things like malaria and TB.” Thankfully testing for tuberculosis can now be done on the ship, which means patients can be treated straight away. “Those tests usually have to go back to a big city where there’s a lab and results may take weeks or months. If someone has TB then that exposes everybody else in the community for months and months while they’re waiting for the result to come back,” Dr O’Connor said. “By being able to diagnose it on the ship, we can then authorise the health workers to start treatment straight away, hopefully minimising the spread of that a little bit.” Apart from the prevalence of infectious diseases, many adults suffer from chronic back pain due to hard labour. “Sometimes we’re lucky and have a physio come with us, but if we don’t we have handouts with back strengthening exercises and stretches because there’s so many of those people who

Health workers also carry out mass immunisations and offer contraception. “There’s only about 30 per cent of women using contraception in PNG compared to 60 per cent in Australia,” Dr O’Connor said. “We take out the Implanon rods that are put in their arms and they can last five years. “Some of them have had up to 10 babies and the more babies you have the higher risk you are of having a complication that results in death from a future pregnancy. So for some, they have had enough kids but it is also about reducing maternal mortality.” PNG is not Dr O’Connor’s first point of call — having volunteered in Uttarakhando, India, at the base of The Himalayas in 2013 as part of the Sampan Development Program. “We were doing a public and primary health care program so we educated some of the health workers to bring them up to speed, we ran some primary health care clinics and saw some patients,” she said. “India was interesting because you get a mix of both of the infectious diseases, like chest and ear infections, and all those general things that are more prevalent there but now because they have a lot more access to westernised and sugary foods, they’re starting to get a lot more diabetes and hypertension, so it’s a real mix. “Our biggest focus there was more on the chronic diseases like diabetes, blood pressure and cholesterol because that’s a new problem for rural India. They haven’t really dealt with those things before, so it was about providing education. “One of the biggest things I learnt on that trip was the importance of working with local health workers and village leaders because to get the trust of the people and also to translate effectively you need the health workers but also if you’re going to make any sustainable change it needs to come from the leaders in the villages.” And that’s what these programs are all about — making a lasting change. “YWAM works collaboratively with the government on both a national and provincial district level, with a big focus on engaging with community leaders and upskilling the health workers so that’s where they hope to see sustainable change,” Dr O’Connor said. “That’s why I like going with the organisation. Because what they’re doing is a more sustainable model rather than just going somewhere for two weeks and then nobody ever goes to that place again. They’re visiting the same villages every six >>

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Watching children die from HIV and people suffering from infectious and chronic illnesses because they didn’t have access to proper health care.

“We often run exercise classes to teach them how to lift safely and how to do back strengthening exercises and we run it as a group otherwise you’re just overwhelmed with those people every day and you don’t get to manage the other stuff.”

Previously visiting the Oro province and Milne Bay, Dr O’Connor has seen her fair share of pain and suffering.

present and you obviously can’t give out tons of Panadol,” Dr O’Connor said.

>> to 12 months and upskilling everybody as they go.” And while Dr O’Connor is upskilling health workers, she too is gaining invaluable experience and expertise of her own. “You learn to be creative over there when you don’t have much equipment,” she said. 82 EchucaMoama

“If you need an asthma spacer for example you can use a cup and cut the end out or a plastic bottle. You just learn to use things creatively, which I think sometimes helps here in a rural context because sometimes you do find yourself not always with the equipment you need, so it makes you think outside the box.” And while the majority of illnesses she treats in Echuca are nowhere near as severe as those in PNG, it doesn’t make working here any less rewarding. “I particularly enjoy general practice because you get to have a long-term relationship with your patients and manage families and you get the chance to impact people’s health on multiple levels, so not just addressing the biological part but also the psychological and social aspects of their health and being able to integrate that all together,” she said. “I like medicine, in particular general practice, because it’s the one specialty where you can help empower individuals, families and communities to attain the highest possible level of health and wellbeing, and because I enjoy the interpersonal relationships, science, art and challenges involved in the process. “I also like medicine because it’s not just a science but there’s an art in how to practice it effectively. Obviously

interpersonal skills and you need to be able to negotiate systems so I enjoy the challenge of integrating all that.” It’s obvious Dr O’Connor loves a challenge. Learning flute from the age of 10, and playing in the Camperdown Fire Brigade Band, district and national band competitions as well as community concert bands and orchestras almost everywhere she has lived, she decided to try her hand at the bassoon a couple of years ago. She first played in the Goulburn Valley Concert Orchestra in 2006–07 when she was a medical student at Melbourne University’s Rural Clinical School in Shepparton. “It’s a great way to meet people and integrate into the community, especially when medical training required me to move every six months – two years for nearly a decade of my life,” she said. The orchestra has a full orchestra concert at the end of term two in which Dr O’Connor plays bassoon and a series of chamber concerts with smaller ensembles in term three where she plays flute. “Playing music takes my focus off the stresses of every day life and lifts my mood, so I find it’s good for my stress management,” she said. For now though, Dr O’Connor is just looking forward to making a difference to the lives of others less fortunate than her. “I’ve been quite blessed in life and have been given a lot of opportunities so it’s nice to be able to give something back,” she said.

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