Browne family. Browne family. Browne family. Browne family. Browne family. Browne family. Browne family. Browne family. Browne family. Browne family. Browne family. Browne family. Browne family. Browne family. Browne family. Browne family. Browne family. Browne family. Browne family. Browne family. Browne family. Browne family. Browne family. Browne family. Browne family.
Gordon & Sheryle
Trenton & Rachel
Neysha Bignell (nee Browne)
Warrick & Jessica
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BROWNE FAMILY, Lynn & Agnes
Written for Agnes’ Retirement Home “Memories Book” in 2000
Just prior to the ‘50’s my husband Lynn had been granted a War Service Land Settlement farm and we moved to Kwobrup with two of our children, Lynette and Graham. We later had Rosalyn and Gordon, so during the ‘50’s my time was spent looking after four young children and helping my husband with the farm.
It was a new experience right from the beginning. I’d never lived anywhere like it and didn’t know anything about the area or the people. We mainly farmed sheep. It was hard work even with the help of shearers we hired. It was my job to make all the meals and morning and afternoon tea was taken to them in the shed. I made scones and cakes, and delivered them to the men. Each time I went a worker yelled, ‘There’s ducks on the dam.’ I didn’t understand what that meant, but Lynn told me it was a warning to other men to stop talking about whatever they were talking about, because a lady was present.
We didn’t really have labour saving devices like we have today. Our water came from rainwater tanks. We had two tanks but had to be careful with our use. The children had to learn to be careful too because we couldn’t get any more if it ran out. In the ‘50’s we still lived with an outside toilet – when we eventually got an inside toilet that flushed, we thought it was a miracle!!
When we bathed we had to cart buckets along the verandah to the bathroom at the end of the house. In between baths we strip washed. My own mother’s words come back to me when I think of that. I remember her saying, ‘Wash down as far as possible and wash up as far as possible and the wash possible!’
Many domestic chores were hard work. We didn’t have electricity. Our lights were Tilley lamps that used kerosene; we also eventually managed to buy a kerosene fridge. You had to light the kerosene underneath the fridge and hope it didn’t start smoking!! To do the laundry I put the clothes in a copper full of soapy water. You had to light a fire under the copper and when the water boiled, I took the clothes out and put them into one of two troughs with cold water to rinse with a Reckitt’s Blue Bag to whiten the laundry. I had a scrubbing board that I used to get stains out with Signal Soap.
When the washing was finished, I rung it out and carried it out to the line. I remember Lynne buying me an ACME wringer (similar to a mangle only smaller). I thought all my Christmas’s had come at once when I had that to use!
The hot water from the coppers was never wasted. It was used for other jobs around the house like cleaning the kitchen floor. We didn’t have vacuum cleaners just a long handled brush and a mop. Sometimes I’d have a real go at it. I’d get down on my knees to wash it, then, I’d polish it. The polish was called ‘Relax’ polish (nothing relaxing about it!). But when it was done, I’d light a fire and sit back, look at the reflection on the floor and think this is really homely.
We went to Katanning once a week and had to do everything. Lynne tied the pram onto the back of the truck and we’d all go shopping. I was dressed up in a dress, hat and gloves. I put my order in at the grocers. He licked his pencil and wrote my order in his docket book. I did the rest of my shopping and he made up the order and took it to the truck. I remember a dress shop run by Mrs Malloch, and there was a tailor, Harold Wells in Katanning.
Once we went to a dance and my husband told me to go and buy a nice dress from Mrs Malloch. She showed me a lovely black dress with little green and gold figures on it, lots of layers of fabric, making a wide skirt. When I got to the dance, blow me down if she wasn’t one of the judges for ‘Belle of the Ball’. I won ‘Belle of the Ball’ and always thought Mrs Malloch and my husband had prearranged it. At the dance the women sat together talking about babies and things until they were asked to dance. The men often stood together talking about sheep and crops and any other problems on the farms. That was sometimes how you got to know who the other farmers were in the area.
Eventually we had more contact with other farms. We managed to get a phone installed, although you ended up having to do much of the work yourself. We had to install the posts and wires and then hand over to the next farm. Once we were connected you had to recognise your own ring tone, as the phone rung whenever calls were made to your neighbours. I remember when one woman rang me, she said, “I can hardly hear you.” Then she said, “If half you buggers got off the line Nessie would be able to hear me.” I got the shock of my life when she said it, but it worked, you could hear the click, click as the phones went down!
They were tough times but we had fun!!
Graham, Lynn, Lynette (standing), Rosalyn (in front), Nessie and Gordon
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BROWNE, Gordon & Sheryle (nee Harris)
1952 & 1955 – Current
Residing “Badgeminnup Farm” (Kojonup Location 3488)
Written by Sheryle Browne.
Gordon’s mum Agnes (Nessie) Davidson McIntosh emigrated from Edinburgh, Scotland to Perth, WA, with her parents and two brothers when she was five-years old and remained in Perth until her marriage. Gordon’s dad, Lindsay Rowland Browne was also raised in Perth and worked for a short time on his uncles farm at Kulin before serving in WW2 Dec 1940 – Jan 1946 where he acquired the rank of Lt. LR Browne WX9710 2/7 Aust Division.
Lynne and Nessie were married in April 1946 and in 1949 were granted a War Settlement farm “Chirniminup” at Kwobrup, Nyabing (Kojonup Location No 8846). Previous owners were the Fairclough family. The couple brought with them the first two of their five children, Lynnette b.1946 (m. Hamish Philip; two adult children and residing Mundaring WA) and Graham b.1948 followed by the arrival of Gordon b.1952, Roselyn b.1953 (m. David Allan; three adult children and residing Onslow WA) and Margaret b. 1959 who died five days after her birth. Gordon’s parents remained at “Chirniminup” until their retirement to Australind in 1975. Both Lynne and Nessie were keen lawn bowlers and travellers. Lynne died in 2007 aged 84 and Nessie lives in an aged care home in Mandurah and will be 90 in November 2011.
I (Sheryle) was born in September 1954 to Hervey Arthur, known as Chappie, (Hervey being his English great grandmother’s surname) and Elaine Alice Harris (nee Ward – married October 1952) who were farming at Broomehill before purchasing “Dualling Farm” North of Nyabing (Kojonup Location No 9545) in 1955. The previous owners were George and Dorothy Sargent – donators of the Kent District Football Club’s Fairest and Best ‘Sargent Medal’ – and before them, pioneer Mr James Langley and family.
My entry into the world as the firstborn was followed quickly by Neville b.1955 and hot on his heels came Lynette b.1956 (m. Bruce Clarke; three adult children and residing Katanning WA). Dad played football for the Kent Districts Football Club and both he and Mum became keen golfers and lawn bowlers. They acquired more property during their farming career but remained living on “Dualling” until their forced retirement to Katanning in 1983 due to Dad’s ill health. My brother Neville and his wife Pam (nee Allitt) took over the running of the farms. Neville and Pam were married in Deniliquin NSW in 1979 and have five children. Sadly Dad died in 1986 of a terminal illness aged 57. Mum continues to live in their home in Katanning, when not away playing bowls or travelling.
Both our parents’ lives were influenced by the 1930s depression and World Wars [i] [ii]. Gordon’s parents especially, as they had been personally involved and affected by the horrors of WW2. Gordon’s mother lost her eldest brother Archie when he died in 1943 working on the notorious Burma railway after being captured by the Japanese in Singapore during WW2. Dad had strong memories of growing up on his family farm north of Katanning, which supported his parents and their ten children during the depression and WW2 when supplies were low and during the rabbit plague!
Gordon and his family spent many holidays in Perth visiting grandparents and relatives. My siblings and I grew up with grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins living nearby – being descendants of early Katanning/ Woodanilling pioneers. I recall on two occasions visiting the city to farewell our paternal grandparents on a round-the-world cruise early 1960’s and a stay in Princess Margaret Hospital in 1965 where I made a miraculous and full recovery from Encephalitis, contracted from the Measles. As a consequence of my illness Dad and Margaret Wells were instrumental in Nyabing acquiring the services of an ambulance and subsequent First Aid classes. I recall my parents hosting a St John Ambulance fundraising day on the “Dualling” farm in 1967, Dad having built a full sized operable ‘chocolate wheel’ and the conscientious efforts of everyone involved.
As children in the 1950s and 1960’s I have fond memories of climbing trees, Gordon of digging tunnels at the “Plots” at the ‘big’ School in Nyabing, swinging on monkey bars, swimming in creeks that seemed to flow each winter – now altered through modern farming practices, playing cowboys and Indians with replica guns and riding our bikes to our neighbours, the Cheetham’s, Breen’s or the Barndon’s – on whose dam we would go water rafting.
Memories of not so keenly collecting and bagging wool from dead sheep for pocket money, the excitement of picking wildflowers to exhibit in the Nyabing-Pingrup District Agricultural Show, and sewing on Mum’s Singer treadle sewing machine for hours on end. Occasionally we would disappear for half the day to explore or build cubbies with the neighbours in bush reserves always preceded with strict instructions for our well-being, until a distant call for “tea and bath time!” One not so fond memory was the threat of “the strap” if we didn’t behave ourselves which certainly achieved the desired result almost every time!
Gordon recalls driving, with his sister as a passenger, to and from the school bus in an old Austin A40 ute with only a handbrake to bring the vehicle to a stop. One day the handbrake didn’t work and fortunately the gate saved the day! He also vividly remembers, as a young boy, having the job of bringing the cow in from the paddock each evening for milking the following morning, and the sheer frustration when, after arriving home late one night in the depths of winter with only a torch for light, having brought her carefully through the creek and towards the milking shed, she made a quick dash past him and raced back to the top of the paddock – all the while being watched intently by the bull residing in the same paddock.
We recall the 32V lighting plant, when on occasion the lights would dull warning the battery power was low and the engine needed starting. The “thump-thump-thumping” of the 240v diesel engine and then peace and quite when the SEC power finally arrived in the mid 1970s. It was also a time when a number of farming families left the district unable to survive on the small acreages surveyed and without the means to expand.
Gordon and I began our primary schooling in the ‘little’ school which later became known as the Brownie Hut. Being rather shy, I still recall my first day at school and feeling very ‘fearful’ to the point where I wouldn’t eat lunch at school for the first three months or so! There was no introduction to school via kindergarten or pre-school at that time. As the pupil numbers grew, two more additions were built to add to the two existing pre-fab buildings at the ‘big’ school – where Nyabing Primary School is now situated. While these were being built in 1962 the year three class, of which I belonged, attended school in the Nyabing CWA Hall. Our year three teacher was Miss Robyn South. In 1966 the headmaster, Mr Ron Carmody not only had administrative duties to attend to but also taught our year seven class, together with the few year eight, nine and ten students who were studying secondary schooling by correspondence. A number of girls attended Girl Guides after school each week. Mrs Jessie Flower was the Girl Guide Leader.
Nyabing Primary School 1961 Year 2 Class
Back Row: Grace, Moya Hobley, Maureen Rule, Judith Collins, Sheryle Harris, Marie Wallis
Middle Row: Gail Badger, Stanley Webb, Evan Larter, Heather Smith
Front Row: Neil Emery, Donald Hamilton, Brian Cheetham, Alfred Hobbs, Malcolm Webb
Both Gordon and I attended Katanning Senior High School. A strict uniform code was in place at the time – navy pleated skirt, grey melange trousers for boys, white shirt with necktie, blazer, dark gloves and beret for winter, white open-weaved cotton gloves and Panama hat for summer. I boarded at the Katanning Hostel leaving the security of my home and family aged 12! The year I began high school, Gordon left for Narrogin Agricultural College to complete his final two years of schooling.
It was a very exciting time as a teenager in the 1960’s and 70’s with many changes and new freedoms and not all without consequence. I have one fleeting memory of Gordon at Nyabing Primary School where over 100 children attended and I didn’t lay eyes on him again until late in 1970!
After leaving school I was employed in 1971 as a Bank Officer with the National Australia Bank in Katanning. In fact, I commenced my employment the day the new (existing) NAB was opened to the public on the corner of Clive Street and Austral Terrace, the previous building having been destroyed by fire. In between being an employee of the NAB, I enjoyed employment with solicitors, Taylor Nott & Murray (now Molinari). In 1971 Gordon managed his parent’s farm when they took over the management of the Hordern Hotel in Narrogin, of which they owned a half share. Later he worked as a labourer when the Nyabing and Mindarabin CBH bins were being built, a farmhand at Mingenew and a truck driver for Ken Sutherland in Katanning. We also lived and worked for a short time in Sydney, NSW.
In 1972 tragedy was to again strike the Browne family. Gordon’s brother Graham was killed when his dump truck fell over a steep and unstable embankment whilst working for a Kalgoorlie/Boulder mining company. He was 23 and left behind a wife, Rhonda (nee Becker) and two small children, Shane and Melissa.
Gordon and Sheryle Browne married at the Baptist Church, Katanning 5th April 1975
After our marriage in April 1975 I went to live with Gordon on his parents “Chirniminup” Farm. In 1976 we moved to “Turling” East of Katanning on the Warren Road (Williams Loc No 10441) to share-farm a property owned by my parents – the far eastern portion of the farm being on the western boundary of the Kent Shire. Our three children were born whilst living there. Trenton Graham b.1977, Neysha Elaine b.1979 and Warrick Leigh b.1982.
Lake Magenta Block, 1983
Over the next few years we managed to purchase a meagre assortment of plant and machinery. In 1980 we were allocated a 4,000 acre block of crown land (Roe location No 3052) on the far eastern boundary of the Kent Shire bordering the Lake Magenta Reserve on the south with a dry salt lake on the eastern boundary. Hooray! We were on our way to owning a farm….. and the associated debt! Acquiring the block wasn’t an easy process with eight blocks available and over one hundred applicants. After the initial application, we had to present to the Kent Shire Office before a panel consisting of Lands Department WA, Shire of Kent and Agriculture Department WA representatives and prove our viability to farm the block we had applied for. Of course one was unable to be too financial and we certainly weren’t that! Dad agreed to act as our guarantor!
For the next seven years the children and I remained on the “Turling” farm whilst Gordon travelled back and forth between both farms, with his family only seeing him one day a week for weeks at a time…. not unusual for many families these days! The years 1980 – 1987 were a flurry of activity and Gordon, often accompanied by a workman and help from Dad and Neville when they could, chained and burnt 4,000 acres of trees and scrub leaving wide boundaries, creek lines etc, fenced, and a shed was built and dams sunk. Today, we are flat out replanting trees, shrubs and grasses.
A caravan, gas fridge, shower under the tank stand, and a “long drop” toilet became luxuries before the real luxury of power and the telephone arrived. To freehold the block it had to be fully cleared, boundaries fenced, pastured and contain dams. Family friends have fond memories of the day they met their neighbour camped in the scrub off the side of the road in his campervan surrounded by a large container of water, 12v globe clipped to the ute battery, a small gas burner and plenty of tinned food – they too were beginning their farming future living in a caravan in the gravel pit beside their allocated block with their two small sons – a daughter was to follow later!
A number of close friendships were formed and lessons learned only a farming pioneer can understand and we were among the last of them! It was during this time we adopted the motto: “When all appears impossible and negativity threatens from all directions – keep your head up, stay focused and strive for that dream!”
With Dad’s unfortunate death in 1986 we made the decision, in 1987, to sell the Lake Magenta block to the Mutter family of Dumbleyung and, in 1988, we sold the “Turling” farm of which we had inherited a half share, to our neighbours the Jolley’s and AM Harris & Co. In the same year of 1988 we purchased the “Badgeminnup Farm” at Nyabing on Goodchild Road (Kojonup Location No 3488) from NE & KM Pollard. Previous owners of the property were the Quartermaine, followed by the Goodchild families, both early pioneers in the district. We were a united family at last! We have since purchased land (Kojonup location 8998) adjoining the south-western boundary of the “Badgeminnup Farm” from Neville and Pam Harris – previously owned by Allan and Josephine Webse. In 1994, after 18 years of being leased out, we took over Gordon’s parents farm “Chirniminup” where Trenton and Rachel (nee Ottaway – married September 2002) and our grandchildren Marshall b.2003 and Phoebe b.2005 live. In 2006 we purchased “Wyarin Farm” (Kojonup Locations 2160 & 5271) from DJ & MA Webse and PH Webse & Co where Warrick and Jess Tuffley live. We also lease land in the Kent and Gnowangerup Shires.
Trenton, Neysha, Warrick (Back)
Sheryle and Gordon
Neysha, Lyndon (Bradley) and our grand daughter Sophie b. 2002 live in Wodonga, Victoria. Lyndon is a professional fireman and both he and Neysha have set up and manage an expanding Fire Smart training business. They are to be married in March 2012 in Phuket, Thailand.
We also have family living on an irrigated farm in Finley in the Riverina District of NSW. Finley is a two hour drive west of Albury/Wodonga which is an inland city divided by the Murray River separating NSW and Victoria. The Denny family grow rice and traditional cereal grains. Michael’s wife Belinda teaches at a Catholic school nearby in Berrigan and they have four children, Nathan, Jeremy, Nicola and Alyssa.
Our involvement in the Nyabing community has been with the Buff’s Lodge, Kent District Kart Club and football. We are also involved in netball, Nyabing Primary School P & C, KDSSC, Nyabing Garden Club, Nyabing Townscape Committee and The Nyabing Progress Association, Southern Agcare representative, Theatre Arts Group and Nyabing Book Club. I worked briefly outside of our farming business as a relief Nyabing Pre-school Assistant in 1975 and again as relief Registrar at the Nyabing Primary School in 1996. Gordon currently represents the Shire of Kent as a Shire Councillor.
Nathan Denny, Phoebe Browne, Marshall Browne, Nicola Denny, Sophie Bignell, Alyssa Denny and Jeremy Denny
We believe our greatest achievement has been our now adult children, their partners and our adorable grandchildren. They have given, and continue to give, us great joy, meaning and purpose in life. Nathan Denny, Phoebe Browne, Marshall Browne, Nicola Denny, Sophie Bignell, Alyssa Denny and Jeremy Denny
Overall, Gordon and I have enjoyed a happy, eventful and fulfilling life living in the Shire of Kent. It has given our family and community at large a sense of freedom, opportunity and a good standard of living very few people in many parts of the world will ever experience. We have made many good friends, enjoyed a few adventures overseas, numerous visits interstate to visit family and we plan to eventually “semi” retire in Albany.
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BROWNE, Trenton & Rachel (Ottaway)
Trenton 1988-current
Rachel 1996 – current
Residing – “Chirniminup” Kojonup Location 8846
Written by Rachel Browne
Trenton grew up in the North Badgebup area, on the farm “Turling”, currently owned by Pete and Deanne Caldwell. When he was 11, he moved with his parents Gordon and Sheryle Browne and younger siblings Neysha and Warrick to “Badgeminnup”, located at 423 Goodchild Road, and previously owned by Noel and Kaye Pollard.
Trenton attended Nyabing Primary School in 1988 and 1989 then travelled to Katanning District High School for years 8, 9 and 10. He finished his secondary education at Hale School in Wembley Downs, Perth. During his high school years, Trenton played football in the Claremont development squad, resulting in him travelling to Sydney with the Under 15 team to play footy. However farming took preference and this was the route he was to travel. 1995 saw Trenton travel to Germany for work. Contacts he made then have resulted in seasonal workers from Germany being employed by the Browne’s in recent years. In 1996, Trenton furthered his education, by studying an Associate Degree in Agriculture, at the very well known Muresk, campus of Agriculture for Curtin University, in Northam.
I grew up on my family’s farm “Kildare” 25km south east of Lancelin. This was a portion of my mother’s (nee de Burgh) farm, which consisted of about 30,000 acres (12,000 ha) of land, extending from the coast near Ledge Point to the eastern side of the Moore River. Due to the death duties in those days, much land was sold to pay for the death of my mother’s uncle, resulting in a smaller property. My parents, David and Jo Ottaway, continue to graze cattle and sheep and grow a small crop at “Kildare”.
I attended Lancelin Primary School, then five years of boarding school at St Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School in Karrinyup, Perth. It was here that I first became aware of Trenton. It was not until 1996 when I too attended Muresk to study Agriculture that Trenton and I began our relationship, and this was the year I first visited Nyabing. Trenton would return on weekends to play football for the Kent District Football Club and work on the farm, and I began playing hockey with the Nyabing Women’s Hockey Club, on a casual basis and doing farm work where applicable. We carried out a lot of landcare works during this time including deep drainage, fencing salt and planting trees.
We studied for two years then Trenton returned to “Badgeminnup” to work full time. I managed to get a job with Elders in Katanning working in the merchandise department. My aim was to be a stock agent, but at that time, not many females were employed in this position. Perhaps as a result if impatience I never realised this dream. Ross Nichols offered me a job in his CRT business based in Nyabing in about June of 1999 so I moved into town. I happily worked here for 15 months, sharing a house with Tanya Gemain (nee Wray at that time).
In 2000 Trenton and I travelled overseas for three months only to return to a bad season in agriculture. We moved into the Browne family home, 494 Browne Road, built by Lindsay and Agnes (Nessie) in 1967. Trenton’s father, Gordon, only lived in this house for a couple of years while he was studying at Narrogin Ag, and this is where we currently reside. On our return from travelling I worked for Chris Castledine (who used to live in Nyabing) picking fruit in his Donnybrook orchard to earn money to pay my mother back for the over expenditure whilst travelling! I had no job, so vividly recall carting over one million litres of water for sheep, using a 6000lt tank on the back of the ACCO truck. It was bloody hot, and when backed into a dam, would often lock gears. So for someone with not a lot of mechanical knowledge, this was not the best experience.
We married in 2002 at St Mary’s in Karrinyup, and continued to work the farm in conjunction with Trenton’s parents and brother Warrick as we successfully do to this day. From 2003 it seems to me as though life moved up a gear. We purchased the nucleus of a Dohne stud (meat and wool breed of sheep), which by 2010 had become the largest in WA and one of the best know Dohne studs in the country. In 2003, we welcomed our first child, Marshall, during a wet spell in December.
A lot of my time was and is consumed with the running of “Chirniminup Dohnes”. We purchased Amuri Creek Dohne Stud in 2005. Just after that we welcomed our daughter Phoebe in August 2005, into our family. With the help of my mother in law, Sheryle Browne, I started to learn the farm books. At the same time, we started taking on leased land for cropping and running sheep. It was at this point I truly knew I was alive.
In 2006 we purchased “Wyarin” formerly owned by David Webse, located at Kwobrup. The men were becoming increasingly busy with the cropping program and as margins in agriculture tightened, considerably more office work was being done to extract the best for our business. Farming seemed to be getting amazingly technological very rapidly. Machinery changed to auto-steer, got bigger and more expensive, variable rate technology, 2cm seeding using satellite, liquid fertiliser replaced or complimented granules and rainfall was becoming an issue. Accreditation seemed to be required for everything, and high visibility vests were now compulsory at CBH receival points.
The late 2000s was not a very good time to be in agriculture. Frost, drought, high input costs and low commodity prices all have to make you wonder why you do it. But farming is a passion and for Trenton and myself, it is our life. 2010 and 2011 were years of good prices for sheep and wool, so for those people who still had them, they were receiving good returns. Drought and frost knocked the crop off in 2010, with canola yields at the 400kg/ha mark. 2011 however, yields have been fantastic (at the time I compile this history, we have just finished canola and have averaged 1.6t/ha and are moving onto cereals).
As of 2011, the “Browne’s” farm of 8000 arable hectares is comprised of owned and leased land. The general trend is for farms to get bigger at the expense of smaller farms, and with this, comes a depleted population. For the future, we will strive to care for our family, our land and our community to the best of our ability. We have a special little town, unique in many ways and we all need to work together to keep it alive.
Trenton, Rachel, Phoebe and Marshall in 2010
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BIGNELL, Neysha Elaine (nee Browne)
Formerly: “Badgeminnup Farm”
Years 1988 – 1996
Written by Neysha Bignell
I was born in Katanning on the 9th of April 1979 to Gordon and Sheryle Browne. I am the middle child with an older brother, Trenton born in 1977, and a younger brother, Warrick born in 1982.
I spent my first nine years growing up in the North Badgebup area, on the farm “Turling”, Warren Road, East Katanning. In 1983, at the age of four, I attended Cliff Street Kindergarten in Katanning and the following year pre-school in Conroy Street.
My first, and perhaps best, years of schooling were at Kobeelya in Katanning. It was a wonderful school and a fantastic transition for me. Many fond memories were made here; the fondest being meeting my beautiful friend Sophie Beeck. Kobeelya was principally a secondary year private girl’s school, but boys had recently been accepted into the primary section. There was only 14 students in the primary school with Sophie and I being the only two students both in year one and year two. With great sadness Kobeelya was closed in 1986.
After Kobeelya, I attended Braeside Primary School in Katanning. Although I enjoyed Braeside, its size was quite overwhelming! I remember being petrified of the toilets and if no-one was about, preferring instead the shrubs in the garden! One day, whilst ‘half way through’, I spotted the Principal coming down the path towards me! I will never know but I am sure to this day he would have seen me, although he never said a word!
I attended Margaret Wake school of dance in Katanning. I loved dancing and fond memories include the end of year concerts when we were able to dress in costume and wear make-up!
It was in 1988 we moved from “Turling” to “Badgeminnup”, located at 423 Goodchild Road, Nyabing. Mum wasn’t as fond with the idea of moving to “Badgeminnup” after having recent renovations done at “Turling” and having to start all over again with the garden and house. I, however, thought it was a fantastic move – a huge new area to explore and a much larger bedroom!
I attended Nyabing Primary School from years 1988 – 1991. I thoroughly enjoyed Nyabing Primary School and playing chasey, king ball and British bull dog! Cubby season was a highlight and having a string of boyfriends and writing love letters became time consuming!
I began piano lessons with Mrs Longmire at Badgebup. She was a lovely kind softly spoken lady who had a massive old dog. I loved the way she wrote my homework with her lead pencil! I also played netball for Nyabing and attended Brownies in the little hut where Mum and Dad first attended school!
I have many happy memories of my life growing up on the farm at Nyabing and they are still being made to this day. Learning to drive in Dad’s Datsun ute and the resulting dent, followed by Dixie Beattie’s pre-loved maroon and white Morris and, when I thought I was so totally experienced, it was touring around the farm in the purple Torana with the flapping tin lid exhaust on the bonnet! Camping with friends, sometimes in the old brown tent in the bush or in the old caravan in the shed! Some of my closest friends still comment how some of their best memories were at “Badgeminnup” and Sophie McComish (nee Beeck) still comes to stay at the farm on an annual basis.
I attended Katanning Senior High School from years 1992 – 1994. Mum or Dad would drive us to the Nyabing-Katanning bitumen at the end of Hobart road where we would catch the bus in the morning and in the afternoon Mum would pick us up from Nyabing.
In 1994, in year 10, I became a boarder and student at the Presbyterian Ladies College in Perth. Although I was keen to go, I was rather anxious and homesick for the first three months. However, boarding school taught me some life skills I will use forever.
In 1996, after graduating from year 12, I was keen to get back to the country so applied for a junior office position at Pascoe, Hudson Broom and Blythe Accounting Firm in Kojonup. I was one of eleven applicants and was ever so pleased with myself when I managed to land the job. I was employed at Pascoe Hudson Broom and Blythe from 1996 to 2001.
It was in Kojonup I met Ian Bignell who was an Engineer with Central Great Southern Engineers. We were married in 1999 in the garden at “Badgeminnup”. In 2001 we made a life changing business move to Wodonga, Victoria expanding Burando Hill, Katanning. It was in August 2002 we were blessed with the arrival of our beautiful daughter Sophie. Sadly Burando Hill Wodonga ceased business in 2004 and Ian and I separated in October 2006. Ian still lives in Wodonga. We all have a great relationship and Sophie sees her Dad on a very regular basis.
After the Burando Hill Wodonga business ceased I worked for Farm and Rural Mobile Services for Children, a mobile childcare service travelling out to rural and remote towns to provide childcare and respite for parents. I began as a part time administration officer and before long advanced to office manager. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at FARMS and loved the purpose of the business. I left FARMS in 2009 and commenced employment with Laing O’Rourke Construction to expand my career opportunities. Laing O’Rourke was a 12-month contract position and I worked in a temporary site office. Laing O’Rourke was awarded the New South Wales Building Education Revolution Contract – government funding to upgrade 50 New South Wales schools. I thoroughly enjoyed my time there. It was extremely busy and timeframes were impeccable!
In 2007 I met my now fiancé Lyndon Bradley who is a senior station officer with the Country Fire Authority Victoria. We are to be married in Phuket Thailand on the 31st March 2012, and Sophie is to be our junior bridesmaid.
I am currently self-employed and in partnership with Lyndon in our rapidly expanding Fire Smart Training business. Fire Smart Training provides first aid training, CPR, working safely at heights, confined space and many more safety training courses. I am also studying part time for my Diploma in Business (Human Resource Management) which I hope to complete by June 2012.
Lyndon, Sophie and I enjoy boating, working hard to make a future, travelling and generally spending time together as a family.
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BROWNE, Warrick,& Jessica (Tuffley)
1982- Current
Written by Jess Tuffley
Looking back with fondness, Warrick (Wazz) remembers how much he loved growing up on a farm. Sitting in the mulberry tree after school, camping in the back paddocks with Trent and his friends, playing dress ups and classrooms with Neysha. Hunting was always a good fun; catching rabbits, then cooking them up on the campfire and trapping parrots in a cage then setting Winnie the Jack Russell onto them.
There are of course things he didn’t like, chores. Gardening soon became high on the avoid list, the family put many hours into Sheryle’s beautiful garden. Warrick recalls throwing tantrums whenever he had to feed the chooks, kicking and screaming in detest. He used to drag out the time it took to do his chores so that he didn’t have to do too many.
For pocket money, Wazz and Trent kept pigs. They were responsible for 20 or so pigs, raising them for a certain time and then selling them. With the pigs, came the smell! Each morning they boys would have to clean out the pig pens and thoroughly clean themselves before going to school. Of course, there were also more fun things to do, like burnouts in the purple Torana down near the shearing sheds! Wazz went through a few old bombs and the passion for the odd “good skid” has not left his childhood heart.
Wazz spent a lot of time at Neville and Pam Harris’s mucking around with his cousins, Jason, Brad, Russ, Dut and Shelley. They would spend many afternoons on their motorbikes making tracks and building jumps. Numerous rides resulted in bruises and wounds from the not so smooth landings.
School at Nyabing Primary School was always fun during cubby season. Wazz and his mates would go to school with materials and tools to build the cubbie houses bigger and better than the season before. Athletic carnivals and sports season were also highlights for Wazz. Thriving at athletics, Wazz became quite a little champion at interschool carnivals, excelling in competition.
Some of the best times in Warrick’s childhood were based around junior football; trainings, games and especially footy camps to Bremer Bay. Football is still today a great passion, although now hindered by two knee reconstructions, the agility is not the same.
Wazz went away to Katanning Senior High School, travelling in on the bus. Each morning Sheryle would drop him off at the Hobart Rd intersection and collect him from Nyabing in the afternoons. Upon senior school, Wazz didn’t want to follow in Trent’s footsteps to Hale and decided to go to Narrogin Agricultural College. His best memory of school was the 98’ Ag School tour of New Zealand. Being able to undertake many activities, rafting, bungee jumping and jet boating. Other great moments include his school ball, footy games and meeting lifelong mates. After graduating, he went on to Muresk, returning to the farm in 2001 to work along his Dad and brother.
Jess spent more of her time growing up as a town kid, although there are a few memories of being on the farm. Like always being left behind by her two older brothers. One incident in particular was being left out on a motorbike ride. Mitch, Cam and Dad were on the bike riding around the sheds and Jess was locked in the back yard, too little to reach the latch or climb the frame. They would ride past and just wave as she was throwing a massive tantrum screaming in frustration behind the gate. To make matters worse, Megan took a photo so that the memory will never fade…..
Creating pontoons on the dam with old tractor tubes was a great pastime as kids. Catching yabbies in the drag net, although Jess never wanted to have to peel them, to the point where she pretended not to even like them just to get out of it. She then snuck a few in when no one was looking!
Jess spent many holidays with her best friend Bree Badger (daughter of Graeme ‘Buck’ and Vikki Badger) at her dads farm ‘Birdland’. Buck always had plenty of fun things to do, from riding four wheelers and horses, collecting emu eggs, to making didgeridoos and there were plenty of camping trips to the shack at Doubtful Bay.
Brownies, Girl Guides and Junior Red Cross were the main after school activities. All the programs were run by Mrs Jo Addis (who is still affectionately known as Brown Owl to all kids!). Learning skills like cooking, campfire building, and crafts, as well as volunteering and leadership training. During Red Cross, the group would run manure drives to raise funds, paint the town curbs and collect rubbish around town.
Two of the most constant people in her childhood were her grandparents, Faye and Leo Tuffley. All the grandkids spend lots of time with them. Nanna Faye was everyone’s Nanna and there were always kids around her. Jess spent hours upon hours in “Nyabing Farm & Fuel” helping her Nanna. Living right next door, it was quite often that someone would have to open up the store at all sorts of hours so that people could get fuel or movies. All grandkids and any other children close to Faye and Leo were spoilt rotten with affection and love, plus there were always lollies around!
Schooling in Perth was a big change for a small town kid. Thankfully two of Jess’s greatest friends Karlie Jenkin and Cara Badger were at Swanleigh Residential College with her. From a small school of under 40 students, to a large 300-pupil boarding school, Jess loved her time at school. She spent her junior years at John Forrest Senior High School and senior years at Swan Christian College. At school, Jess thrived in the athletics, arts and leadership programs. This resulted in huge amounts of time off from school for carnivals and excursions! A handful of great moments include a sleep over at AQWA for biology camp, New Zealand netball camp, school balls, debutante, Leeuwin Voyager sailing adventure and hundreds more!
Upon leaving school and returning to Nyabing, Jess became involved with community groups such as Nyabing Progress, netball and theatre arts and various other groups organising activities and functions. This included ANZAC ceremonies and community events. She began working at the Shire of Katanning in 2005 as an admin officer and progressed through the ranks, leaving in 2008 to take some time out and returning to local government at the Shire of Kent Administration Office.
In 2006 Warrick went travelling overseas, working in Canada and touring throughout Europe; an adventure of a lifetime. He met many great people and saw some amazing sights on the other side of the globe. Upon his return to Nyabing, he and Jess began their relationship. A few months later, in 2007, they moved out to ‘Wyarin’ (generally referred to as Webse’s – previous owner David Webse) and began setting up their home.
Over the last few years, they have worked alongside the Browne family; Gordon and Sheryle, and Trenton and Rachel, in the family farming business. The Browne’s are a very close knit family and all members have a great working relationship. In the past few years they have all worked together to become a successful farming enterprise.
Together Wazz and Jess lead a very busy life like many others. Jess works full time at the Shire Council and Warrick works long days on the farm. There is always work to be done and the list only ever grows. Living on a farm in a small community is such a wonderful place to be. Friends and family are always nearby and there is always something happening to keep you happy.
So what’s happening now?
We experienced a wet and stormy summer and an incredibly wet new year! Our property received huge rainfall on Dec 31st, which flooded areas of our property and Trenton and Rachel’s farm ‘Chirniminup’. The storm came in so quickly, it was a rush to refuel vehicles, shift sheep, pack an overnight bag and hope that the dam behind the house wouldn’t burst or overflow. As wet as it was, it did not keep us from attending the wedding of Ben and Arlene Sutherland, arriving slightly late, three-hours after the ceremony.
We have never seen so much water around us. The Katanning-Nyabing Road had flooded close to three-feet and sections of the railway line were washed out. Gravel roads required large scale repairs and there were plenty of hours ahead to spend repairing fences.
This kept harvest going for close to 12 weeks, finally finishing on the 19th January. To celebrate, the family rejoiced at the Nyabing Inn. Currently, the guys are spraying weeds (thanks to the summer rainfall), grading grain and getting prepared to begin spreading lime. The year ahead is looking like another busy and, hopefully, prosperous one. With a family holiday in March to Phuket for Neysha’s marriage to Lyndon, we will all be able to relax ready for the onslaught of seeding. Life just couldn’t be sweeter!
Warrick & Jessica
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