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Lyndoch Living resident Brenda was born in 1940 in Camperdown as the middle child of two brothers and two sisters. Brenda loved playing football and cricket at the Nullawarre North Primary School, describing herself as a bit of a ‘tomboy’. However, after grade six, Brenda began helping her family on the farm.
Brenda thoroughly enjoyed being out in the dairy milking the cows. One day she started chatting to Allan, who also worked on the farm. The pair hit it off instantly and began spending time together, although Brenda joked that she made sure to keep him on his toes.
In 1966, the pair decided to marry. Brenda remembers the morning of the wedding as being just like any other day. “I went out to the dairy, milked the cows, and got ready just two hours before the ceremony. But, on the other hand, Allan spent the whole morning getting ready,” she laughingly said. The couple went on to have three children, bringing them up on the farm.
In 1983, Brenda and her family were involved in the Ash Wednesday bushfires. The family were living in Naringal, surrounded by farms and bushland. Brenda remembers looking outside the window and seeing a large cloud of smoke in the distance. Soon after, Allan, who was part of the local fire brigade, was called to help. Brenda had to move the cows from the paddock into the dairy in the hope of protecting them. “But, it spread so quickly and came, as close as our back fence before the wind changed. That’s what saved our family home. The community all came together to rebuild and support each other. It’s just what you did,” she said.
Thanks for sharing Brenda.
