Loving family: Bill and Lorraine Brown with their children, Diane and Craig.
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This week, I had a chat (or two or three) with Bill Brown. This is what I learned.
Bill wasn’t born in Shepparton. However, since he and his family arrived here in 1970, he has certainly earned his stripes.
Bill was raised in Yarrawonga; his wife, Lorraine, came from Benalla — and I got the impression Shepp was considered ‘neutral territory’. Their long-term plan was to settle in Albury-Wodonga. This didn’t happen because, Bill says, our city offered future possibilities for the family.
Bill had just returned from a stint in Vietnam; he had volunteered as a medical assistant. The work had been rewarding, and he’d have continued working in the health area — except he had a family to feed, and the pay was insufficient.
He worked as a milkman for Midland Milk for a while and then, with Lorraine’s assistance, opened a successful fish and chip shop on Colliver Rd. Around five years later, tired of the seven-day work week, he went to Campbell’s Soup before taking a position at (what is now) GOTAFE.
For around six years, he worked with unemployed youth. He followed this with similar work at GV Group Training (now The Apprenticeship Factory).
Lorraine had taken a cleaning job at the hospital, and it was something she enjoyed — until her health began to fail.
Senior citizen of the year
I asked Bill about his award in 2021. He said he considered the Australian Botanic Gardens Shepparton his greatest success. With a small but like-minded group, he had fought hard to have the gardens situated in the north of Shepparton, next to the International Village.
However, that vision failed, along with the International Village. Undeterred, this passionate group of people searched for another site — until the current site was offered. He said: “Have a look at it now, and you can see how beautiful it will be in a few years.”
In the 1980s, Bill also worked with two Greater Shepparton football clubs. He was general manager of the Mooroopna club for two seasons (and two premierships). Gunna Ryan then head-hunted him for Tatura, where he held the same position.
But there was another reason the city chose to honour him. He has been a volunteer at the tourist information centre for 32 years. And, to a degree, this nurtured his passion for the botanic gardens. He says visitors kept asking where the gardens were — and he had to say, “We haven’t got any”. With a grin, he says, “And now we have”.
And, there was yet another reason Bill and I were having this long chat — over iced coffee.
Long Lost Family
Now I have a ‘real thing’ for this television show — particularly the one on Foxtel on Monday nights. I have watched hundreds of shows as people reunite with family members. I settle on the couch with a box of tissues.
When I heard on the ‘Town Talk network’ that Bill had ‘found’ his father, I jumped on the phone — to arrange a coffee date. And here is Bill’s story.
His Auntie Ivy raised him, and his grandmother had a boarding house in Yarrawonga. Auntie Ivy moved to Yarra, where the weir was being built, and the boarding house was successful. Ivy met a good man called Alex, and they had four children together.
Bill joined the railways at the age of 17, and shortly after, Ivy became very ill. At this point, a family member decided that Bill should be told the truth — that ‘Auntie Ivy’ was, in fact, his mother. Ivy recovered, but out of respect for her, Bill asked no questions.
It was almost 40 years before he started searching for his father. Ivy had now passed away, and he understood it was likely that his dad was no longer here, but who was he? He didn’t even have a name. All he knew was that his father had been a good musician and that his grandfather had fallen to his death at St Paul’s Cathedral (in around 1929). Before the internet and before DNA awareness, it was an almost impossible task.
In 2022, his daughter, Diana, asked him to spit in a bottle — which he did. This year, his niece Kaylene gave him all the answers provided by his DNA. His father, who had passed away in 1986, was Thomas William Sandford. He had many relatives to meet — some of them half-sisters and brothers.
At first, Bill was hesitant to meet his long-lost family. Would he be welcomed? However, he overcame his fears and visited other Victorian and interstate towns. Today, he proudly wears his dad’s wedding ring and lays claim to 16 new relatives. He was, indeed, welcome.
Lorraine has passed on, and Bill is in his early 90s. However, he is a contented man — enjoying these years and still turning up for his shifts at the tourist information centre. Do say ‘hello’ if you come across him.
Epilogue
I found my conversations with Bill Brown inspiring. Each one gave me an idea for another Town Talk. Born here or not, I have rarely met anyone who loves this city as much as he does. He is without regret or complaint — as he happily walks to his meetings and commitments. I hope he is still with us for some time.
Christmas preparation
Well! This house is as decorated as it is going to get. My darling little reindeer are back in place on the dining table; the water feature is wearing fancy dress; and there are a couple of floral arrangements that I’m happy with — one subtle and tasteful, one not so much.
I’ll show you some photos when I have the space. The elves (please read ‘grown-up grandchildren’) have taken care of the tree, which, they decided, would change back to its previous colour theme next year. They have had enough of the red and gold and want blue and gold for 2024.
Here’s the problem with that colour theme. Each family member has a giant named bauble, and as these originated many years ago, they are all in traditional Christmas colours — suiting the present colours.
At first, there were six — now there are 18. When my second grandson, then a youngster, first suggested the blue, I cheerfully bought the necessary decorations, and it really did look beautiful.
We all loved it — until we remembered the family baubles, which would ruin the whole thing. When I said they would have to be hung, the conclusion was: “Not on that tree!” So, I put up another, thankfully smaller, tree in the hall.
Its colours were co-ordinated to match the family baubles. Problem solved — but not without difficulty. If they persist in the colour change, the elves will need three days to decorate, as the large one is a two-day job. Well, that problem is 12 months away!
Gentle readers
Yes! I gleefully steal from Bridgerton because you are gentle. I know this because only one of you has ever written to tell me to remove my rose-coloured glasses. I really want to remind you that this is a beautiful time to catch up with old friends and, perhaps, make some new ones; to put aside any concerns you have and, with determination, enjoy every day.
Put something in your living room that reminds you of love — it might be something Christmassy or just a bowl of roses — because the message of Christmas is a loving one: ‘Love one another.’ And love is probably the only emotion that reaches God.
By the way, season one of Bridgerton is the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen — twice. Life is for living!
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