While living in Sydney his mother was a dressmaker for wedding dresses, and she would get Dad to stand on the chair while she pinned the dress to him as a model. (He hated that but still remembers it.)

He finished school at 16 and by 17 got an apprenticeship but hated being in the big smoke. He told his Boss he was moving back to the country, to which the boss said he “can’t just leave” but Dad was on the train headed to Coopernook. He worked for William Newton on a farm on Harrington Road (not knowing then that years later he would own the farm next door), and found his way to Moorland to Edgar Ford’s Butcher Shop and lived with the family, did his apprenticeship and made lifelong friends. He would deliver meat to Hannam Vale, Lorne, Kew, Coralville Road. He and Lorraine Ford would pack orders in the back room. And to this day has kept in  touch with good friends Anna Kostanko and husband Julian who live in Canada, her brother Wally lives in Texas, their parents were all friends living at Moorland, always a Christmas card and phone call that Dad looked forward to.   

It was there he met the beautiful young telephonist that worked at the post office across the road from the Butcher shop, Beryl Kennewell. They were married on the 28th July 1951. They lived in the big house next to the Moorland Tennis Courts, they went to all the dances and balls at the local halls, and loved playing tennis. Dad played football for Coopernook, Moorland, Kew. He only asked the other week what age was Wade who still plays for Bellingen. Dad said he gave up football at 33 – he was always asking about the boys’ footy.

They did everything with their best friends Neen and Merv Fairhurst and Max and Norma Bale and I’m sure there is lots of stories to be told - like the time Dad and Merv were sent to Coopernook to buy a dummy for one of the babies, but somehow only made it to the Coopernook Pub, and didn’t get back till 1am - without the dummy!  

He loved his cars. He bought a big Black Ford, with shiny silver side rails and when Mum parked it in the old wooden car shed and side-swiped it, he bought her a little Red Volkswagen Beetle.

Along came Cindy and a move to our farm at 122 Harrington Road, Coopernook came next, and a couple of years later along came Amanda Fay. They worked the farm back to a purpose-built dairy farm - they bought all the dairy cows, tractors, truck, he fenced, slashed paddocks, rotary-hoed, planted corn, and the farm prospered. Mum made the house a beautiful home on the river. She loved her garden. We had the best childhood and now our kids and grandchildren have the same.  

Dad always loved his horses, and so too did Amanda, so they both joined the Coopernook Pony Club, of which he is a life member - when she was only about 4. Twenty years later they were still going to every show, Gymkhana, ribbon days, and then started showing Australian Stock horses. Mandy is still dragging Scott around to the shows. There was the yearly Pony Club Ball and many times Dad would win the Best (or Worst!!) Tie.

Dad’s partners of crime were Milty Towers, Ken Roulstone, Jimmy Cheers. I can still remember Mum getting so cranky with Dad after the ball trying to get him in the car at 1am or 2am, because they were always last to leave the Hall, and Mum knew they still had to get up at 4am to milk those rotten cows.  Poor mum! They worked alongside each other 24/ 7.

They also had lots of caravan trips with Max and Norma, the Priestlys, and the Hammonds up the coast to Queensland and to Ag Quip.

Dad would do his weekly cattle pickup to the Sale Yards on a Monday, and every school holidays my girls and Nathan Cross would go with him. They would sneak home chooks, kittens, pups, all hidden under their feet in the truck - until Pop told them No Fur, Feathers or Fins! They Loved Mondays.

He had a special bond with two good friends, more like brothers, Warren and Darryl, always planning something talking about old times, cattle, horses, always going to Fordies, Gloucester, Kiarka, Walcha properties. He was the camp cook.

And now we are all saying “Who is going to make the Christmas Pudding?” He never just made one, it would be 5 or 6. We might have to rely on Amalia who is 10 years old as she stayed with Dad last year and soaked the fruit, mixed the pudding, tied the cloth and waited 5 hours for them to cook, all while sitting on the cement next to the bbq with the dogs licking the bowl wooden spoon in hand. He also made the best pork and crackle and the pickles and bottled chillies. He was a great cook!

Mum passed away 11 years ago this year and for 10 of those years Mandy and Scott have been trying to move in with him to help out with the farm work and cattle – but he wouldn’t have that! Just ask Mandy about the bailing twine and bits of wire that holds up the gates and cattle yards. We are going to have a huge bonfire with just string and twine and rope….and buy some new gates. Dad never bought anything, he just fixed it up. And I remember when Reece was only in Primary School he said not just once “my Pop can fix ANYTHING!”

Dad gave up dairying about 15 years ago and now has Angus Beef. He was still on the quad bikes last year, getting a bit slower, until his heart gave out last week.       

He had a great life doing exactly what he loved.

Not long ago he had a fall and a friend said “you need to get some handrails put in Kevin” and he said “Josh can do that”, so now it’s the next generation to fix things around the farm.

He was 89 and determined not to go to any old people’s home as he called them because he didn’t see himself as old. So, I think that is pretty special for a very special man.

Kevin Sheather. Our Dad and Pop.