Dear all,
On 20th September, Jessica presided over her final Girl Up
fundraising soirée, raising money to support women and girls in Cambodia
who have suffered sexual abuse and domestic violence. They had sold over 100
tickets to the event, including eight of our friends, who we had roped into
coming and raised $4500 for the charity. Jessie delivered the main speech which
was inspiring and presidential, before the evening dissolved into dancing. It
was Jessie’s final event with Girl Up, as she has been President for several
years and is now stepping down.
The following weekend, Ian Whitton, Liz Redfern and Sophie
arrived just as a storm had knocked out power on our street. Katie rushed
around lighting candles, and we met them by lamplight, which felt quite
Edwardian. It wasn’t quite the “welcome to Queensland” that we had expected. We
chatted by candlelight for a while until the lights came back on.
The next night, we all had dinner at Supernormal on Queen
Street, which serves up fantastic pan-Asian dishes alongside sweeping views of
the Story Bridge. Next morning, Katie took Liz and Sophie to Pilates, while Ian
and I opted for the more rugged pursuit of dog‑wrangling around Sherwood
Arboretum. They attended a friend’s wedding that evening at nearby Hillstone
Golf Club.
On Sunday we had a BBQ lunch for Liz, Ian & Sophie, combined
with Ian & Cathy Muir also from Hong Kong, and Ant & Katie Whittle from
our street. It was a long relaxed lunch with several bottles being enjoyed. Eventually
an Uber became the only sensible option for Ian, Liz and Sophie’s airport dash
back to Melbourne. It was so lovely to see them.
We headed to the Regatta Hotel on 4th October to help
celebrate Craig Wiley’s 60th birthday. The Regatta was the scene of many
BBC rowing stories and is a Brisbane institution. Our entire rowing crew
assembled from when we had won the Head of the River when I was in year 12 in 1983.
It was a great reunion and good to relive those glory days. Always good to
catch up with Craig and Kirsten. The next morning we walked Shorncliffe
foreshore with the dogs, had coffee, spent a morning at the beach and ate fish
and chips at Redcliffe. At the beach Pippa chased seagulls with great zeal,
while Molly looked on.
The following weekend we celebrated our 29th wedding
anniversary at Boucher in Graceville with a Chateaubriand that
requires 90 minutes’ notice. It was an awesome steak preceded by garlic snails
and followed by creme brulee – a perfect romantic meal.
My father Viv was very unwell and had been in a hospice
since we returned from Europe. In the space of just a couple of months, they
have sold their sheep, ute and property, and Dad moved into a lovely hospice in
Ipswich with my sister Lisa’s guidance. Much of October and November was taken
up with assisting mum and dad in putting their financial affairs in order and
assisting with paperwork from the house sale and mum’s move to live with Lisa.
A few other things that happened in October and November:
·
Mum and Dad held a farm clearing sale on
19th October. Dad was well enough to come out of the hospice for the day and
walked the hot paddocks as his life’s possessions were auctioned. It was sad,
but also a relief to let things go so that Mum could move in with my sister.
·
Kylie hosted a Le Barge Reunion, where
everyone from our France trip gathered for a lovely dinner to reminisce about
our trip — wine and nostalgia proving a reliable pairing.
·
We met Jessie for lunch in Paddington and then
took Molly & Pippa to visit her house. The dogs were very enthusiastic in
their property inspection and were a big hit with Jessie’s flatmates.
·
Matt returned home on 4th
November after 15 months abroad, mostly in China perfecting his Mandarin. Katie
picked him up at the airport, and the reunion was suitably joyous.
·
We spent a weekend at Kylie’s fully renovated
apartment in Peregian Beach. Dinners at the pub and pizza shop were
charmingly local, while Sunday rain led us to Bask, a modern Australian restaurant
known for its “long lunching” ethos.
Sadly, my father passed away on 15th November, when a
ten-year battle with prostate cancer finally caught up with him. He had moved
into a lovely hospice in Ipswich for the last couple of months, when caring for
him became too much for Mum. He had declined rapidly just after we set out on
our big trip. When first admitted, the nurses didn’t think he would last the
night. However, he rallied, and in that time managed to guide me through the
practicalities of putting his finances and self‑managed super fund in order. It
did make our holiday somewhat stressful, as we were constantly aware that I
might need to fly back at a moment’s notice. Fortunately, he recovered well,
and we were all grateful for the extra couple of months, so that we were able
to have many conversations and visits, and I even played chess with him on one
occasion. It was the only time that I have ever beaten him.
I saw Dad the night before we left for Peregian, but he had
deteriorated so much since the previous weekend that he barely recognised me.
Still, I was able to say goodbye. We were sitting on the beach on the Saturday
when my sister called with the news. He had remained mentally and physically
quite well until the final week and was not in pain. If one must go, it was —
in its own way — a good passing: peaceful, dignified, and after a life lived
fully.
The first of many Christmas events this year was the AECOM
Christmas party on 21st November. It was a Great Gatsby‑themed roaring
twenties event at The Tivoli. These events are always spectacular and this one
featured champagne towers, a jazz band, dancing show girls, a tap dancing show,
and lots of fab food & drinks. Katie dazzled in a red flapper dress and
pearls, I wore black tie, and the Charleston was attempted but not perfected.
I went on a work trip to Mulwala on 30th November–1st
December, a town on the NSW‑Victoria border famous for Lake Mulwala and its
water ski club. Our team dinner began with cocktails too early, making Monday’s
client meeting feel like an endurance sport. We had a long journey back via
Sydney when our first flight was delayed and we almost missed the connection.
We had to sprint through the airport on Final Call, which was moderately
stressful.
Friday 5th December was Dad’s Funeral at Centenary Memorial
Gardens. We had planned the service together - I delivered a 20‑minute eulogy;
Matthew read one of Dad’s poems; Jess curated the order of service with a
little help from Katie; Lisa and her four girls made beautiful flowers for the
coffin. It was quite a challenge to deliver the eulogy, perhaps one of the
hardest things I have done in my life. A morning tea followed at the gardens,
and we chatted to Dad’s friends, colleagues and admirers as well as family
members and some of our close friends who had come along to support. Afterwards
a very small group of friends and neighbours came back to our house, and we
spent the afternoon toasting Dad poolside with his own 1990s red wines. It was
a nice if sombre afternoon and a fitting farewell.
In the eulogy I spoke of dad’s life, political activities,
libertarian ideals, and his global expertise in running coal mines.
Dad was also the founder and guiding voice of the Carbon Sense
Coalition, dedicating the last decade of his life to that cause. He saw how
little science was being consulted in the growing climate debate, and through
his work reminded us that carbon is not a pollutant but the very foundation of
life.
Viv spoke with conviction, arguing that carbon dioxide is
essential for plants, for agriculture, and for human prosperity. He challenged
governments and communities to look beyond fear and alarm, urging practical
solutions for energy, farming, and industry. His message was simple yet
profound: warm, carbon‑rich times have always been “Golden Ages” for life on
Earth.
Dad belonged to the Silent Generation, known for its strong work
ethic, loyalty, and traditional values. They were hardworking, stoic, and
rarely asked for help. Dad embodied these qualities throughout his life.
Through Carbon Sense, he gave voice to farmers, miners, and everyday
Australians who recognised carbon’s vital role in sustaining livelihoods. His
legacy is one of courage and clarity — a man who stood firm in his convictions
and sparked debate across the nation.
But Dad’s legacy is not measured only in the organisations he
built or the arguments he advanced. It is also in the example he set; showing
that one individual, armed with conviction and clarity, can stand against
prevailing opinion and still be heard. As the ancient Greek proverb reminds us,
“A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they
shall never sit in.” Dad was certainly planting trees until the day he died.
We had brunch with the Bottomley family on Sun 6 December.
They are friends from our Manchester days, in town touring Australia to watch
the Ashes. Joey’s, atop Kangaroo Point cliffs, had stunning views across the
Brisbane River, which was some consolation for England’s showing in the Ashes
tour was not going well. It was lovely to see them, and we enjoyed a fantastic
meal.
The Street Christmas Party on 7th December was hosted as
usual by the Trew’s. All of Mortlake Road was there sharing drinks and plates
of canapes. These lovely community events make our neighbours feel like family.
On 10th December, we joined Mel & Bernie Thorpe for Lady
Gaga’s Mayhem Ball at Suncorp Stadium. Katie and Mel dressed in gothic Gaga
style; the crowds were mayhem; dinner at Caxton Street Brewing beforehand was
sensible; parking at Jessie’s house in Paddington was genius. Gaga’s encore
left us exhilarated, hoarse, and slightly deaf — the perfect end to a great
evening.
The following weekend found us at Matt & Kathryn
Donaldson’s Christmas party. Their riverside lawn boasts a grass tennis
court, so naturally I was roped into two sets with Matt and a few others before
the festivities began. It was a scorcher of a day, so I dashed home for a quick
shower before rejoining for the civilised post-game drinks. The evening
unfolded on their pagoda overlooking the Brisbane River, with a very cinematic sunset
as twenty friends and neighbours raised their glasses.
The next day we ventured for lunch at Fratelli in
Paddington, after a quick detour to Jessica’s house — Matthew had never seen
it, and a guided tour was deemed essential. Lunch was long, Italian, and
celebratory, marking both my birthday and Matt’s. A post-prandial collapse on
the sofa was unavoidable, given that I had tickets to AC/DC at Suncorp
Stadium that evening.
The tickets were free from a friend who is a life member of Suncorp
Stadium and the seats surprisingly good. Jess was keen to join me, so we
skipped the first support act, arriving halfway through the second. Amyl and
the Sniffers were unexpectedly good, and AC/DC, as ever, were thunderous. So
loud in fact that Matt and Katie could hear the music from Graceville. This was
my fourth time seeing AC/DC, and they never disappoint. The only slight quibble
was Angus Young’s 20-minute guitar solo. While undeniably impressive — the man
is 70 and still duckwalking with manic energy — I couldn’t help thinking three
extra songs and a shorter solo might have been the better bargain.
Mid-concert, Katie began texting through grim updates of the Bondi
Beach Massacre – a horrific and senseless tragedy that shocked the entire nation
and shifted the political mood of the country. It was Australia’s deadliest
mass shooting attack in almost three decades. The news grew darker as the night
wore on, a senseless counterpoint to the music. Jess and I parted ways
afterwards — her house is a short stroll from the stadium, while I braved the
train. My carriage was filled with the loudest, drunkest bogans imaginable,
many missing teeth in alarming numbers. It was a relief to get home.
Friday the 19th was our Work Breakup Drinks: fifty of us
descended on The Wickham for pizza and an afternoon of beers that slid
seamlessly into gins. My fellow directors and I shouted the lot, so naturally I
felt obliged to make the most of it. The next day, Saturday, was our annual Christmas
Drinks, this year boasting well over fifty guests. Katie organised
everything with her usual flair, and the evening was a great success. We always
love raising a glass with so many of our friends and neighbours at Christmas
time, and this year was one of the best.
On Sunday we observed a minute’s silence for the 15 dead in the
Bondi Beach Massacre in the National Day of Reflection. A vile act of
terrorism, all the more poignant by being so close to Christmas.
This year, we
send our hope for peace, with best wishes for health and happiness for the
festive season and beyond.
Derek, Katie,
Matt, Jessie, Molly & Pippa
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