We arrived in Beverley in January 1969 after travelling in a convoy of truck loaded with furniture, car & trailer, and Mum & Dad Stock's car & caravan. It was a gruelling, hot journey over the then unsealed and very corrugated Nullabor Plain road, but it paved the way for our 4 years of farming in the WA wheat belt town of Beverley. Our property was in an area out of town called Mt Kokeby, which consisted then of a shop/post office/telephone exchange & a railway siding.
Now in 2013 we approached the town from the east, through Meckering which was all but flattened by a strong earthquake in 1968, and on to York where Stuart was born in 1969 - we took the obligatory photo outside the hospital where it all happened. That memorable night we had been sent on to York from our local Beverley Hospital because my doctor was away in Perth at the races. En route to the hospital we sat at the railway crossing for ages where a train was parked for the night. After sitting in the car for a while I encouraged Trevor that perhaps we should find another route across the line. That done we finally arrived to the relief of the hospital staff who were waiting at the door for us having been notified by Beverley that we were on the way. Trevor was sent home to Mr Kokeby (in those days the father was unwelcome in the delivery suite) & wasn't aware of the birth of his son until after the Kokeby exchange opened at 7.30am the next morning, some 2hrs after Stuart was born.
So back to the present, from York we drove on to Beverley & Brookton, where over the next few days we caught up with old friends, and had a really good luck around the area, especially enjoying the country in all its springtime greenery. Another must do was to have a photo taken outside the Beverley Hospital where Sarah-Jane was born in 1970. Fortunately the doctor was there, but Trevor (who was allowed in this time) almost missed it as he had ducked into town to buy a pie for lunch !! He only just got to finish it before our daughter arrived.
A visit to the old farm which hasn't been lived in for some time was a bizarre & poignant feeling. Sadly the little old farm house is derelict and has been unoccupied and definitely unloved for a long time. As we pulled up outside there were rabbits running around all over the place, and darting under the house.
The sheds, yards & outbuildings strangely empty and overgrown and the whole atmosphere was completely lifeless. There is a crop but no livestock, so it is worked somewhat, but there wasn't much evidence of the busyness, the dogs, ducks, cows & kids that once enjoyed the undulating paddocks & the quaint little house & garden. So having reminisced about another lifetime, we drove out the tree-lined drive (which trees we lovingly planted & watered) now metres high, closing for good that chapter of our lives.
Our friends at Brookton (Carol & David Bond) looked after us so well and we left them with our fridge stocked up with wonderful garden fresh vegies, herbs & fruit. It was a wonderful few days and served to remind us again that true friendships always survive the passage of time, and are taken up as though no time has passed between meetings.
Likewise, leaving Brookton, we drove on to Perth, staying at the lovely property of other old friends from the Beverley days, Carol and Tom Knell. We all belonged to a young marrieds group through the Methodist Church in the area, and although we've all gone our separate ways we have kept in touch all these years. Our farms were all some miles apart, but we gathered regularly at each others homes, putting children to bed in cars while we did a Bible study or just fellowshipped together. Some of us also played night basketball, and there again, watched each others kids sleeping in the cars, while teams were playing. They were good days & lovely to share memories together.
More coming ......
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