David Evans (1918-2001)
David Evans was one of those larger-than life characters whose exploits would not have been out of place in a Jeffrey Archer novel. He was a man of contradictions -- a successful entrepreneur born into a family unable to afford a horse and buggy; a Spitfire pilot in the Battle of Britain who refused to take part in Anzac Day celebrations; a larrikin perceived by many as irascible; and a philanthropist whose many charitable deeds often seemed at odds with his business acumen. Davidson Freeman Evans was born in Brisbane in 1918, one of seven children in the Evans "tribe", who eventually settled in Boonah. The going was often tough, and for many years the children had to walk the three miles to school across the paddocks. At 15, David started work as a "gopher" at George Bartholomew's farm machinery dealership, where he was responsible, in his words, for cleaning the car, sweeping the floors, and giving cheek to the young ladies. War broke out in 1939, and David took to night study to obtain the junior pass necessary to join the RAAF. He became one of the few Australians to fly Spitfires during the Battle of Britain, and the bushman pilot was regarded as a refreshing change from the well-heeled graduates traditionally behind the controls. David rarely spoke of the years he spent flying during World War II. Although he and his wartime mates undoubtedly shared many memorable experiences, David was sorely disillusioned by the tragic waste of human life he witnessed during that period. On arrival back in Oakey at the end of his wartime service, David parked his plane, climbed out, kicked the strut, and told the aircraft he never wanted to see it again. Then he hitched a ride home to Boonah. The war behind him, it was time to move on. It was back to Bartholomew's for David, and in 1951 he used his savings to buy the farm machinery business from his boss. And so the story of the entrepreneur began. Over the following years, the David Evans Group grew to incorporate seven branches throughout Queensland, and currently employs more than 130 people. David was a consummate businessman, showing a special talent for identifying innovative products, and expanding his services to provide for every sector of the farming industry. He was a visionary in his ability to recognise the potential in an idea and bring it to fruition. He never let a chance go by, and friends recall the day when David and his wife Wilda drove into town to do some shopping. When Wilda returned from the store, she found David waiting for her - with no car in sight. Not one to miss an opportunity, David had sold it. This complete absorption in his work must have at times sorely tested the patience of Wilda, who he married in 1943, and their three children, Robin, Jane and Sally. Work was, quite simply, his motivating source. Yet there was much more to David. He loved classical music, poetry and art. He was a connoisseur of fine foods and wines - at the right price. He was a longtime and passionate supporter of the Salvation Army, a commitment which earned him the Medal of the Order of Australia in the Queen's Birthday Honours List in 2000. David held the position of advisory committee chairman and Red Shield Appeal chairman, and was generous with his time and money for a cause which offered so much support for returned servicemen. He was also a benefactor to those in the community who needed help, and sought no praise for his philanthropic contributions to society. David Evans was a perfect example of a self-made man, whose many accomplishments benefited both the community and the farming industry. He was always the first to admit, however, that his pride rested not in what he achieved, but with his wife of nearly 50 years, his family, and the people in his company. At the time of his death in May, aged 83, David still made people laugh; he still managed to engage or enrage. Above all he was unforgettable -- and that's the best legacy a larrikin like David can leave. - printed on 20th June 2001. (wrong photograph attached to obituary - apology printed next day)
Obituary
Arthur Edwards
World War II veteran Arthur Edwards died at St Andrew's Hospital, Toowoomba, early on May 19 at the age of 80. Born in Dalby on July 28, 1911, the eldest of family of nine boys, Arthur spent his early life in the Bell and Squaretop districts, where parents Arthur and Ann Edwards had farming interests. With the outbreak of World War II he enlisted in the RAAF and joined the torpedo section, based at Nowra, NSW. He served in the New Guinea islands, at Milne Bay and on Goodenough Island, and was awarded the 1939/45 War Medal, the Defence Medal and the Pacific Star. On his discharge Arthur met and married Ethel Oakes in Nowra and immediately moved to Toowoomba. They settled for a time in the Miles district until employment took them to Crows Nest, where Arthur worked in a general store for several years. He then joined Queensland Railways and job transfers took the family to Mitchell, Oakey and finally Toowoomba, where after 17 years' service he retired. In retirement Arthur and Ethel travelled extensively throughout Australia and several overseas trips took them to New Zealand, Singapore and Fiji. Following Ethel's untimely death and with declining health, Arthur led a quieter life. As a young man he enjoyed cricket and tennis and encouraged his family in similar sporting interests. Later in life he and Ethel enjoyed social dancing. Arthur continued his interest in dancing after his wife's death, with the Toowoomba Senior Citizens Club and the Toowoomba and District Dance Auxiliary. In his lifetime he made many lasting friends, and he will be remembered as a man who firmly believed in the unity of family life. Arthur is survived by daughter Avalon and husband Denis Topp, Pittsworth; son Bevan and wife Carol, Toowoomba; and four grandchildren. After a service at St Mary's Anglican Church, he was buried at the Toowoomba Garden of Remembrance. Printed in "The Chronicle", Toowoomba, 10 June 1992
Obituary:
Joy Easton
(1924-2001)
By MERRYL MILLER
Toowoomba mourned the loss of a tireless community worker recently with the death of Joy Easton, aged 77. Although born in Somer-set, England, 75 years living in Amby, Mitchell, Roma and Toowoomba had definitely earned the title of "local" for Alice Ellen Joy Easton (nee Sparkes). She and her hus-band of 57 years, Neville, were familiar faces in the re-gion, being actively involved in school, church and Rotary Club endeavours until her death on April 29. Joy's family emigrated from England in 1927, proudly refusing to accept the assisted fare on offer, and settled near Amby on a property named 'Exmoor'. Several years later they moved to 'Luccombe', a property near Mitchell, which Joy's son still manages today. Joy received her secondary education as a boarder at The Glennie School, before gradu-ating to become a nurse at the Roma Hospital. As was the custom of the day, Joy gave up a career in nursing when she married in 1944, and took up travelling instead. Neville Easton worked for the postmaster general, and his job took them to many locations throughout Queensland be-fore they settled in Toowoomba in 1976. Nev and Joy had four chil-dren, and their lives revolved around the activities of Chris, Penny, Kerry and Kim, as well as active participation in every community in which they were based. While Nev was always very much the "front man" in their partnership, Joy never-theless played a quieter, but just as important, role in the community and was subsequently honoured with the Paul Harris Award by the Rotary Club in 1986. Joy inspired all who knew her with her true strength of character, and her family, friends and the community who came to know and love her will miss her deeply. Printed in "the Chronicle", Toowoomba June 5th, 2001.
Quiet achiever loses cancer fight
Dr Norman Charles Elvidge
1937 - 2000
Former foundation staff member of the Department of Humanities at the University of Southern Queensland Dr Norm Elvidge died on July 13 after a six-month battle with cancer. He leaves Doris, his wife of 35 years, and children Kristen and Jason, and son-in-law Matthew. Norm was born in Newcastle and was the youngest and only male of four children. His father, a veteran of Gallipoli and the Battle of the Somme, gained a position as a foundry moulder at BHP in Newcastle after WWI. His upbringing taught him the importance of mateship and solidarity and gave him an affinity with battlers and an ability to champion the underdog. He was always known to be staunchly honest, sceptical but not cynical; was passionate about the injustices of the world and had difficulty suffering fools. After leaving school Norm gained a Teacher's Certificate at the Newcastle Teacher's College but several years of teaching in schools gave him a great hunger for further education. He later graduated from the University of New South Wales with a Bachelor of Arts Hons. (Geography) and a Master of Arts from the University of Newcastle. In 1972 he took a job at the fledgling campus of the Darling Downs Institute of Advanced Education in the School of Education and then transferred to the new Department of Humanities in 1973. While teaching at the DDIAE he gained a Diploma of Urban and Regional Planning from the University of New England. He also began work on his doctorate with the University of Queensland but tragically only completed this last year after his retirement from USQ. His doctoral thesis on Equity and Efficiency in Regional Shopping Centres was the first thesis to be published in full on the UQ website. Norm was a committed academic who took his field of knowledge into the community without seeking any glory. His research work at USQ resulted in Federal Government grants worth tens of millions of dollars for the community, especially in job creation programs. In the early 1990s he was the main author of the visionary statistical work, The Darling Downs Economic Record, and was also the main author of Toowoomba a social Atlas. Both of these works have been the basis of many recent local economic and urban planning decisions by governments and organisations. In his academic life Norm challenged everyone with whom he came in contact to think about where they were and who they were. He had an extraordinary ability to communicate with young people and to simplify complex concepts for all to understand. Dr Norm Elvidge was a devoted family man, a giver and a doer. The legacy to the community work will last for many years to come. Since the early 1970s he helped transform the USQ from a set of demountable buildings in a cow paddock into seat of academic excellence today.
' Lex was devoted to Allora
Born: July 20, 1925
Died: July 23, 2002
Lex Ellwood was known in the community as "Mr Allora". Involved in every aspect of Allora and district life, including sporting, civic, and community endeavours, he was honoured in the Queen's Birthday Honours List with an MBE in 1980 for his services to the community and local government. Born in Stanthorpe, Lex was the youngest of five children to Paul and Gurney Ellwood, who owned the Blue Mountain Orchard where Lex spent his childhood. The family moved into town when Lex's father opened an auctioneer's business and later the first Ford dealer-ship in Stanthorpe, and Lex attended the Stanthorpe State School and then the Brisbane Boys College for his secondary education. In 1941, Lex began work at the Brisbane City Council (BCC) as the Lord Mayor's runner, a position that possibly whet his appetite for civic affairs. While still with the BCC, he enlisted in the Air Training Corps, which allowed him to become a member of the Australian Air Force before the age of l8.
After flight training, Lex was posted to a Bomber Squadron, where he saw service throughout the Pacific region. Towards the end of the war he was promoted to officer, and his bomber was fitted with seating for transporting home the many prisoners of war. Upon his discharge from the war, Lex returned to Stanthorpe to help his mother run the cafe that had been established following the death of his father. In 1947 he joined the staff of the Stanthorpe Shire Council, and studied for his qualification in accounting. This eventually led to a position as an accountant, and later shire clerk in Cloncurry. It was in Cloncurry that Lex met and married a young English nurse, Olive, in 1954, and the following year the pair moved to Allora, where they spent the rest of their lives together. Lex was the shire clerk of Allora for 35 years, and devoted his life to the people of this town. Some of his achievements for the betterment of the town included all roads in the shire becoming bitumen or all-weather, a permanent water supply, and the building of a public swimming pool. There were very few organisations in the Allora district in which Lex did not have some sort of involvement. He was a member of the Allora State School P&C, the Allora Co-op, the swimming club, the Junior League and Wattles League, the Masonic Lodge, the RSL, Meals on Wheels, Senior Citizens, and sporting clubs including bowls and tennis.
Lex was involved in his church, was a life member of the Warwick Apex Club, and was the foundation president of the Allora Rotary Club, also receiving a Paul Harris Fellowship from this organisation. His opinions were always listened to with respect, and his community work was honoured in many ways over the years. In 1980 Lex was awarded an MBE in for services to his community and local government, and many of the organisations with which he was involved acknowledged his contribution with life membership. For many years Lex worked as secretary of the Allora Hospital - work that greatly benefited local residents with the building of a new hospital, and ensuring doctors, and a pharmacy were on hand locally. His endeavours also ensured funding for many projects in Allora, including the kindergarten building, the Jubilee Gardens project, the Allora Homestead Aged Persons Hostel, and the Sports Health and Fitness Centre. The recreation section of the Homestead is named in Lex's honour. Lex also gave freely of his time, and entertained the residents at the Homestead on many Saturday mornings with his singing and organ playing.
Lex regarded his 48-year marriage to Olive as his greatest achievement, together with his five children, Nell, Joanne, John, David and Llyn. He was known by everyone in Allora, and his services to the community will be long remembered. Lex Ellwood died aged 77, and is survived by his wife, five children, and sixteen grandchildren. Published in "The Chronicle", Toowoomba, 3rd October 2002.
Obituaries Index
Toowoomba Dead Persons Society
