Stephens Robbie Dot. Stephens Robbie Dot. Stephens Robbie Dot. Stephens Robbie Dot.
1950-1989
Written by Robbie Stephens
Robbie Stephens moved to Nyabing in 1950 with Dad, Mum (Bulla and Nell), Keith and Moya. Dad and Mum had taken over the shop and post office. We stayed at the Boarding House owned by Heath’s for a short while. I went to school at the now Brownie Hut and our teacher was Mr Ray Aitken.
We played a lot of cricket and did a lot of bush walking. On weekends we trapped rabbits and snared roos, and sold the skins to Dad. In the holidays I would go with Dad on the mail run, leaving Nyabing early in the morning, first to Langley’s, Gerhardy’s, Sargent’s, Cheetham’s, Beagley’s, Vic Cheetham’s and so on. In winter, Dad had to put chains on to drive through the lakes.
In the floods (1954) a house down near the railway barracks had water flowing through its windows! Water ran eight inches deep through the hotel. An empty 44 gallon drum (200 l) floated out of the yard and into Vic Batt’s paddock. I left school at age fourteen.
I worked in the shop washing bottles, weighing potatoes etc. Harry Cronin would deliver milk every night. Mum would always have to wash the floor afterwards as he wore his rubber boots (into the shop). Thursday was shopping day. Monday night the diesel train had mail and bread about 7.00 p.m. The Thursday train arrived about 10.30 a.m.
When I turned seventeen, Mum took me to Katanning Police Station and told Constable Robertson if I didn’t get my licence he would have to drive us home, she was having some teeth out. I drove around the streets and went back to the station; he gave me my licence A, B and C which was good. I drove Mum home, road was all gravel and it took one hour.
I started playing tennis and cricket. Mr George Cheetham would put a lot of spin on the tennis ball which was very hard to reach. I began going to the dances in Katanning, Pingrup and Kukerin with Ernie Batt, Barry Ward, Harry Gillis, Barry Markham, Ron and Clem Gerhardy.
At the dances in Katanning I met Dorothy Dye. We were married 21st April, 1962. We lived in Nyabing opposite the old basketball court. Dot and I produced five children; Gayle was born 18th March 1963, Neil 12th August 1964 (we lost Neil to Leukaemia in December 2010), Jane was born 3rd May 1967, Jason (known as Bud) 1st November 1969 and Michael (known as Spike) 12th July 1972.
First school bus 1964
Robbie Stephens Driver
We purchased a school bus from Mr Ken Hockey in 1964, the Nyabing South Run. Dad and Mum set up a shed by the hall which became the Elders Agency and Ampol Fuel Company. Gail Kimberley worked in the shop for fifteen months. I sold the agency to Mr J. Beattie in the early 1970’s.
I worked weekends at the Nyabing Pastoral Co. root raking etc. At seeding and harvest I worked for Mr Garth Addis, Mr Roy Dolan and Mr Grantley Smith. When the kids started kindy, they went to the CWA Hall, were Mrs Chris Badger was one of the teachers. We took them to all sports, it was to Katanning in the morning and then down to Ongerup for League in the afternoon.
Dot Stephens on her 200th Game of Hockey 1987 with daughter Gayle Harman & baby William
Dot played hockey for many years and was made a Life Member of the Nyabing Women’s Hockey Club. She also played tennis, was a member for the local association of Girl Guides and Brownies, and supported me with everything that we ventured into.
I coached Junior Football to win a grand final and played bowls at Nyabing after the green was laid. Pennants were played against Tambellup, Jerramungup, Borden, Ongerup and Gnowangerup. We travelled in the bus, they were good trips. I won the league 1987/88 fours with John Beattie, Grantley Smith and Ken Morrell. We beat Tambellup Gold 16 -11. We had good games back then. I pegged out the golf course with Tim Cattling, Dick Charsley and Colin Manuel with a chain measure about 1970. I also volunteered with the Nyabing St John Sub Centre as an Ambulance Driver.
Robbie Stephens opening the Elders Agency early 1970s
Dot and I moved to Albany in 1989. We sold the school buses to Geoff and Glenda Germain. I worked at the Albany Golf Club, the Albany Race Club and then the City of Albany mowing lawns. Dot worked at the Travel Inn Motel.
Gayle married Kevin (Kiwi) Harman in 1984. They had three children William, Sarah and Timothy.
In 1992, Kevin was accidentally killed in Perth whilst working for Gannaway’s of Nyabing. Gayle stayed in Nyabing to bring up the three children, until she moved to Albany in 1997. She bought a house and began work at Flinders Park Primary School, still working there today.
Neil left home and started work in Kojonup as a cook in a café, then he moved to Beaufort River Tavern as cook, onto the White Star Hotel in Albany, before moving to Perth to the Duxton Hotel, as the In Charge of Hospitality. Neil then moved onto the Inglewood Hotel as a Manager until his passing.
Jane married Todd Guelfi in 1990 and lived in the town site of Nyabing. Todd was a shearer and Jane worked for Telecom in Katanning travelling each day. Todd started his own business with a crutching cradle, where he would take it from farm to farm. They have two girls Madeleine and Karlee. They now live in Albany, Jane is second in charge at Kmart, Todd has three cement trucks with drivers, and he works at Argyle Diamond Mine.
Bud started out shed handing and then shearing. While going to Ben Sutherland’s one morning was involved in a car accident. He was the passenger and this left him in Sir Charles Gardiner Hospital in intensive care for thirteen days and then for six weeks at Shenton Park Rehabilitation Centre. When he returned home, he could only work for a few hours a day (at CBH) to regain his balance etc.
Seeding time came and Barry and Lordes Guard gave Bud a job, this was a great help for the Bud as we now know him. It was a slow process for him getting back into full time work. He met Leona (Bella) Annice and they married in 1992. They both got a job on mine east of Kalgoorlie, before buying a house back in Nyabing. Bud then went back shearing and doing general farm work. They have three children, Tegan, Mikayla and Flynn. They have moved many times and are in Fremantle, Bud working at the Christmas Creek Mine and Bella a school nurse.
Spike worked as a shearer, then for the Berger Brothers of South Nyabing. He met Kirsteen Hyslop in Nyabing in 1999, moved to Scotland and married in 2001, and then returned to Albany. Spike is Manager of Ravensdown Fertiliser and Kirsteen a nurse at the hospital. They have two boys Jack and Harry. Spike a keen golfer and won the Wittenoom Cup, the biggest event at the Albany Golf Club in 1995.
One thought on “STEPHENS Robbie Dot”
excellent history robby
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