VICE-ADMIRAL ROD TAYLOR
A brilliant career in the Navy for Rod
Born: June 11, 1940
Died: September 1, 2002
Vice-admiral Rod Taylor was an outstanding navigator, brilliant naval tactician and a highly professional military officer who reached the top rung of the Navy ladder. He was also a man devoted to his family; an all-round good bloke with a dry sense of humour. Born in Toowoomba, Rodney Graham was one of four children to Len and Vera Taylor (nee Hudson), long term local residents who ran Taylor's Removals. Rod attended the Toowoomba East State School, completing his scholarship in 1953, before beginning naval training as a cadet midshipman in January 1954. It was ironic that only a couple of years earlier Rod's mother had threatened to send both he and his brother Bill into the Navy if they didn't stop arguing, yet it was in this role that Rod (and for a long time his brother too) found his niche.
Rod climbed the career ladder, his natural aptitude as a leader ensuring he reached the very top, assuming the command of the Navy as Chief of Naval Staff in 1994. He was admired by colleagues and junior staff in the Navy as one of Queensland's most distinguished naval officers, and for Rod, the Navy was his life. In 1964, Rod met and married Judy Smith, and the pair had one child, Sean, born in 1966.
He was always close to his immediate and extended family members, who will remember his strong convictions, his love of a reasoned debate, and his forthright way of telling people the way things are. Rod retired from the Navy in 1997 as one of the defence force's longest serving members, and settled on an alpaca stud at Wamboin near Canberra. Following his death from cancer aged 62, Rod Taylor was farewelled with full military honours at Duntroon Chapel in Canberra, with colleagues from across the nation present to eulogise his career.
He is survived by his wife Judy, son Sean, brother Bill, and sisters Wendy and Elizabeth.
Published in “The Chronicle”, Toowoomba, 8th October 2002.
BRIAN TILBUREY
Love of life Brian’s gift
Born: March 6, 1943
Died: October 15, 2002
Brian Tilburey was well known in sporting circles throughout Toowoomba, not just as a referee himself, but as a coach of young referees and an all round good sport. Born in England during the war years, Brian Owen was the oldest of two children to Herbert and Gladys Tilburey. He attended various schools around county England as his father worked on farms, but completed his education at Roundwood Park School, Harpenden. Brian's first job was as a mechanical apprentice at Luton Airport, but he always wanted to travel, and in 1967 he had the opportunity for a job transfer to Brisbane in his role as an accounting clerk with the firm English Electric. It ended up being quite a fortuitous move in more ways than one, when Brian met his future wife Sue Kunze, who worked in the same company. The pair married in 1980, after Brian had relocated to Melbourne with Sun Electric, but it was back to Brisbane in 1981. Several years were then spent in Gatton, before the family moved to Toowoomba in 1988, where Brian was employed by Harrison's Printing. Brian and Sue had two children, Adina Louise born in 1980, and David Owen born in 1983. The one constant in Brian's life apart from his family was his love of sport, especially soccer. He had enjoyed playing soccer when living in England, but when he arrived in Australia, he started to become more involved with the refereeing and coaching sides of the game.
By the time David arrived, Brian had already become a driving force behind Soccer in Toowoomba, and the family frequently travelled to games together, earning themselves the nickname, The Travelling Tilbureys. Brian was well-known across many parts of Queensland in his role as a referee, and was respected by coaches and players alike. One of the legacies Brian has left the community was as one of the founding members of the Toowoomba Raiders and a local women's pre-season soccer competition. In memory of his efforts the introduction of the Brian Tilburey Memorial Shield was announced in November this year. Brian also enjoyed many sports apart from soccer, including table tennis, golf, football and squash, and maintained a healthy rivalry with his son. He supported the Kangaroos in AFL and Luton in the soccer, and it didn't matter where they were on the ladder, it was the sport that he appreciated.
Brian will also be remembered as a man who liked to tell a story, and was always up for a laugh. Brian Tilburey died in Toowoomba aged 59, and is survived by his wife Sue, daughter Adina and son David.
Published by “The Chronicle”, Toowoomba, 7th December 2002.
Conservation farming pioneer leaves legacy
Hector Hogarth TOD
A pioneer of revolutionary conservation farming of the Darling Downs has died. Hector Hogarth Tod, 80, died on Friday. His funeral will be held at St Luke's Cathedral at 10am today. Mr Tod changed the habits and thinking of farmers across the nation. He and his wife Sophie experimented on their Jondaryan property, Poplar Farm, since 1958. The couple strove to introduce integrated farming methods aimed at improving the sustainability of small holdings. He introduced resource management, strip cropping and conservation tillage to stem erosion. Many of his neighbours initially thought he was crazy -- until his yields were discovered to be 1˝ times the shire average. Years later he had proven the economic viability of conservation farming. He believed that unless landowners urgently reviewed outmoded farming methods, the fertility would be drained from Australia's premier agricultural areas. In 1985 Mr Tod won the William McKell Medal for his outstanding contribution to soil conservation. A Department of Natural Resources building was named in the Tods' honour. - Mr Tod was also the first recipient of the Royal National Association producer of the Year award. Mr Tod is survived by four children- John, Penelope, James and Linda.
Printed in "The Chronicle", Toowoomba 13 June 2001.
Australia farewells a son of the soil
Hector Tod
(1920-2001)
It impossible to read anything about the life of Hector Hogarth Tod without seeing accolades such as "prophet", "visionary", "pioneer" and "revolutionary". In terms of the role Hector played in advancing farming techniques to conserve and protect the environment, he deserved every one of these titles. He was a pioneer of progressive and innovative resource management in Australia, and was responsible for many of positive changes seen in land use during the past 35 years. Yet Hector was also a humble, quiet, introspective man motivated not by glory, but by a genuine commitment to the land. Hector was born in the Goomburra Valley in 1920, one of seven children in a farming family. All the children went to the local one-teacher school. Hector didn't regard himself as much of a scholar, although he liked to tell his children that he was always placed third in the class. They, of course, were impressed until they discovered that only two other students shared Dad's classroom. Hard times on the land following the Great Depression cut Hector's education short, and he headed to Tummaville to work as a jackaroo for two years. During the war years Hector served in the Air Force as a transport driver, and afterwards his long term wish to be a farmer was fulfilled when he bought 445ha (1100 acres) near Mt Tyson on the Jondaryan Plain. The soil was productive and relatively easy to manage and Hector considered himself fortunate. It wasn't until the floods of 1956 which washed away fences, severely eroded and exposed gullies, that Hector became aware of what was to become his mission in life. In his own words, he "became an ardent, economic greenie overnight", and vowed to find a solution to this problem facing his land, part of Australia's premier agricultural region. It was now a matter of survival. Hector sought and received assistance from the Department of Primary Industries to trial strip-cropping, the concept of which is to always have a growing crop of winter or summer grain in each strip, sited across the expected flow of water, to slow and spread the flood out of a channel and over the whole area -- stopping erosion and conserving water at the same time.
The success of such a project depended heavily on the support of Hector's late wife Sofie, as well as the neighbouring landowners. Sofie was Hector's greatest advocate and inspiration, and she embarked upon this new adventure with enthusiasm. The neighbours too were keen on the strip-cropping concept, and formed a conservation group, working together to maximise the scheme's effectiveness. This first step of the journey heralded a new era for the community regarding environmental and social awareness, and Hector inadvertently became the mouthpiece for the cause. He was appointed a member of the Advisory and Coordinating Committee on Soil Conservation set up under the State Soil Conservation Act of 1965, and travelled to many places throughout the world to study advances in resource management which could be successfully implemented in Australia. Hector maintained that to save our soil was to save ourselves, and lobbied hard to achieve changes in both legislation and education. It became his mission to cast light on the community's moral obligation to future generations in conserving the source of their food supply, and he stressed that outmoded farming methods would only continue to drain the last ounce of fertility from the soil.
While working hard to bring about positive changes to the environment, Hector still managed to run an economically viable farm based on his innovative approaches. In addition to the strip-cropping method of farming, Hector developed a better system of stubble management, adopted new planting techniques, and introduced direct drilling. He was an exemplary farmer, whose accumulated knowledge benefited the entire industry, and it was fitting that Hector was named as the recipient of the inaugural RNA Producer of the Year Award in 1980. Other honours followed when Hector was awarded the Sir William McKell Medal (named after the first Australian politician to call for national action against land degradation) in 1985 for his outstanding contribution to soil and land conservation. In 1996 the Hector and Sofie Tod Building was opened as part of the Department of Natural Resources facility. Sofie Tod was instrumental in every one of Hector's achievements, and this was acknowledged also in 1996, when trees and shrubs were planted in the Sofie Tod Memorial Park at Jondaryan Woolshed in recognition of the Tods' showpiece of sustainable small-area agriculture. After retirement from "Poplar Farm" in 1981, Hector and Sofie settled on "Koninderie", a 64ha (160 acre) property near Ramsay. For the following 10 years they set about reclaiming this degraded land, putting into practice all of their lifetimes' knowledge and expertise. Despite his high public profile, Hector spoke most eloquently through his deeds. Never a confident public speaker, he was, however, credible, likeable and persistent, and it was these traits which made him such a successful advocate for conservation farming. Hector's impetus in forming groups such as the Toowoomba Erosion Awareness Movement provided the groundswell of support necessary to develop the national Landcare movement. Those voices in the wilderness in the 1950s proved to be the parents of land care in Australia, and Hector's role in this evolution was pivotal. Hector passed away peacefully on June 8. He is survived by four children - John, Penelope, James, and Linda.
Coach industry farewells stalwart
Born: 25 May 1936
Died: 29 August 2002
Rod Truss was one of the community's quiet achievers; a man who knew many people, and did his bit to help wherever possible. His death represents a great loss to the bus and coach industry, not just locally, but across the country. Born in Toowoomba, Rodney Bert Phillip Truss was the second of four children to Bert and Linda (nee Wust). He attended the Wellcamp State Primary School and St Mary's College in Toowoomba.
Following school, Rod began work in the spare parts section of a Toowoomba firm, but when his parents bought the licence to Picnic Point Charter Bus Services, he joined the family business. Rod obtained his bus drivers licence at the young age of 18, and began a love affair with "being on the road" and coaches which lasted his whole life. He helped to build up the company, expanding the local town service to charter and chartered tours, and took over the management of the company on his father's death in 1970.
During Rod's 32 years as the owner of Picnic Point Coaches, as it is now called, he guided its growth from a local service provider to a company which toured throughout Australia and overseas. Rod was acknowledged by customers and others in the industry as a scrupulously honest and hard-working businessman with an unblemished driving record. He contributed to his community via the business, raising money from coach tours to help people in need, such as the victims of the Papua New Guinea tidal wave.
During the 1960s Rod was an active member of the Toowoomba Apex Club, and later a member of the Toowoomba Lions Club. Rod held the position of club president for the Lions in 1979/80. The other passion in Rod's life was his family, and there was nothing he loved more than being with his wife of 42 years Bev (nee Littleton), daughters Lisa, Renee and Vicki, and son Darren. Darren worked alongside Rod in the family business over the past 10 years, making his father very proud. Rod had a dry sense of humour, loved animals, and was the anchor of his family. 2002 was the year Rod would have celebrated the 50th anniversary of the family business, but following his death from cancer in August, the industry and his family will instead commemorate his contribution to its success. Rod Truss died in Toowoomba aged 66 years, and is survived by his wife, four children, and nine grandchildren.
Published in “The Chronicle”, Toowoomba 4th October, 2002.
Farming or golfing, Lloyd had affinity for the land
Born: October 29, 1929
Died: March 18, 2002
Lloyd Turner was a man with an affinity for the land. Whether it was farming an extensive property, or hitting a ball across a well-maintained green, Lloyd was never happier than when outside surveying the countryside. Born in the town of Nhill, Victoria, Reginald Lloyd was the fourth of five children of Reginald and Miriam Turner (nee Burley). He attended local schools before becoming a boarder at Geelong College, and after graduating, undertook a course in wool and textiles at the Gordon Institute of Technology. Lloyd worked as a wool classer and a jackaroo, before buying his first property in 1953. Lloyd moved into "Datkeith", near Wangaratta, with nothing but two mattresses, cutlery for one, an old army truck, a tin of jam, and a pound of butter. In 1954, he married Louise Simpson and in the 10 years the pair lived on "Dalkeith", they managed to subdivide the 1500 acre property into 21 paddocks carrying 3000 sheep and 80 cattle.
Three daughters, Jenny, Vivian, and Sally were born to Lloyd and Louise during this time. In 1964, the family bought 688 acres at "Greg Greg", Tooma, where they lived for 13 years, raising cattle, crops, and eventually a pony ranch. Lloyd and Louise became involved in the local golf club, a pursuit Lloyd would enjoy for the rest of his life, and Louise and the girls excelled at endurance riding.
Lloyd was elected to the Tumbarumba Shire Council in 1973, and served in this capacity for six years, with two as president. The family was on the move again in the late 70s, this time taking up residence at "Bungle Boori". This property was 7000 acres in size, and not performing well, but Lloyd worked seven day weeks for over two years, managing to turn losses into profits. He paid the price for his endeavours with his health however, and he and Louise eventually separated.
Lloyd discovered a love for travel in these turbulent years, visiting countries across Asia and the United States. He eventually was offered a job with the Rural Finance Commission in Victoria, a position he held for several years. In the early 1980s, Lloyd moved to Kilcoy to be near his eldest daughter Jenny, who was starting a business. It wasn't long before he made the move to Toowoomba to help a friend establish a Barbecues Galore store, and the city became his home for the rest of his life. He was an active member of the local Probus organisation, and travelled extensively with close friend and partner Jill Fulloon with whom he lived until ill health required his move to Yukana Retirement Village. Prolonged treatment for cancer didn't slow Lloyd down in his love for golf-- he still managed to play with the assistance of a motorised buggy, and enjoyed an annual golfing holiday with his sister Fay. Lloyd Turner died in Toowoomba last month aged 72. He is survived by his three daughters and eight grandchildren. [Written by Merryl Miller]
Published in "The Chronicle", Toowoomba, 18th April, 2002
Russell had a gift with horses
Born: January 4, 1921
Died: June 2, 2003
Russell Trousdell was no horse whisperer, but there wasn't an equine alive that could resist his charms. A renowned rider, buck-jumper and breaker, his love of horses steered a constant path throughout his long life.
Born in Toowoomba, Russell Keith was one of seven children to Neptune (Dick) and Delia Trousdell (nee Stark), and grew up on the family property at Crows Nest. Formal schooling ended for Russell when he tired of other children calling him "four eyes" (due to his wearing glasses) refusing to attend any longer. He proved useful to his father, breaking in his first horse at the age of nine years, droving and tending the animals, and soon earned a decent wage as a top-notch horse-breaker. As a young man, Russell was regarded as one of the best rough riders on the Darling Downs - he was afraid of no horse, and was seldom thrown - and made his name on the country show circuit.
He won most of the horse races in the Patriotic Sports games held during the war, but also had fun with his steeds, once riding one of them into a hotel bar. An arranged meeting between Russell and a young nursing sister Esther Jones from Kilcoy ended in marriage in 1949, and the couple headed for Taroom to take work, before saving enough money to purchase their own property "Enderley" in the Riverleigh district of Mundubbera. Dairy farming was hard work, and Russell supplemented their income by droving and taking cattle to sales, while Esther worked as a nurse at the local hospital. The work paid off and they were able to purchase a further 1000 acres.
Show riding had been out of the equation for some time because, as Russell claimed, he couldn't afford to feed a wife and a horse too, but eventually he became involved in the local Show Society and acted as ring steward on many occasions. He also brought cattle in for campdrafting and poddy riding. Horse breeding also became a passion, as did involvement in the Pony Club and attending shows and gymkhanas with his horses. He made bridles and stirrup leathers and built his own yards, fencing the property with a crow bar and shovel. His collection of walking sticks made from pieces of wood found on the ground was famous, and he was always supportive of Esther's extensive community work.
Russell and Esther had no children of their own, but there were always children around at "Enderley" learning to ride and care for the horses. Some of those same children helped Russell out on the property when his health began to fail, and Felt they had lost a true friend and mentor when he died aged 82.
Russell Trousdell is survived by his wife Esther - who sometimes joked that he loved his horse first, his dog second and her third - and a community which turned out in force for his burial (the hearse escorted by four horseback riders) beneath the kurrajong tree on his property "Enderley."
Published in "The Chronicle", Toowoomba, 31st July, 2003.
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