The Story of Bede William Connors

I began this blog with the story of my Mum, and it is only fitting that my second post should be the follow up story of my Dad, Bede William Connors (1924-2016), known as Bernie.

Bede William Connors

The year of Dad's birth, 1924, saw Johnny Weissmuller win three gold medals at the Summer Olympics; the first ever Winter Olympics was held in France and the IBM corporation was founded.

Bede was born in October 1924, along with his twin brother Reginald Frederick (known as Reggie).  The twins were born in Maleny, Queensland.  Their father, George Connors, was 44 years old and their mother, Grace Brown, was 39.

Item is held by John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12388729

The photo above shows the centre of Maleny in 1922 just before Bede was born.

At that time it was changing from being a timber town, to becoming a centre of dairy production and fruit growing. The Connors family were living on a small farm outside Maleny at the time of Bede's birth.  The Census data from 1925 shows Dad George and Mum Grace living at a place named 'Booroobin', and George's occupation was listed as 'farmer'.

Photo shared by my cousin Carmel Ryan

Thanks to a generous cousin, I now have a photo of the twins when they were quite little. They look to be about two years of age, so the photo was possibly taken in 1926.  Bede is on the right and Reginald is on the left, with his carefully coiffured curl.  The family always remember Bede being slightly taller than his twin brother.

I had never seen a photo of Dad at this age until two years ago.  It's one of my all-time favourite photos, an absolute treasure!

At the time of their arrival in the world, there were already three boys and three girls in the Connors family.  Beryl Agnes born in 1907, Colin Vincent born in 1908, Thomas Richard born in 1911, George Thomas Jnr. born in 1914, Christina Grace born in 1915, Olga May born in 1919.  Sister Betty Patricia was to be born a little later, in 1926.

Photo shared by my cousin Carmel Ryan

This is a photo of the twins, Bede in front on the right and his brother Reggie on the left; with their baby sister Betty, and their older brother Thomas (known as Tommy) and older sister Beryl looking on.  It was probably taken circa 1930/1931.

I'm not sure when exactly father George and mother Grace left Maleny and took their family to Gympie, but it was likely to have been around the time the photo was taken.

 

Main Street in Gympie, showing Cullinane's Department Store, 1936
/ John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Neg: 245783       http://hdl.handle.net/10462/deriv/118903

The photo above shows the main street of Gympie in 1936 when Electoral Roll records show that father George, mother Grace, eldest sister Beryl (aged 29), and older brother Thomas (aged 25) were all listed as living in Mellor Street, Gympie.  The other sisters Christina (then almost 21), Olga (aged 17), along with younger sister Betty (aged 10) would also have been living at the same address, along with the twins, Bede and Reggie, then aged 12.  

At that time (1936), two other brothers had already left home.  Bede's eldest brother Colin was 28 years old, and had been living and working in Beaudesert, Queensland since 1931. George Thomas Jnr. who was 22, had joined his brother in Beaudesert and both were working as farm hands.

Bede at the start of his life-long career in the railways  c. 1941-1942
Photo shared by my cousin Keith

Bede began his working career around the rather young age of 16 with Queensland Rail, towards the end of 1940. 

Australia had been involved in World War 2 since the end of 1939, and the story that Dad told was that his mother Grace wanted to ensure that he would never be tempted or forced to enlist, as had his brother Thomas.

There were men who were not permitted to enlist into the armed forces as they were in industries and occupations that were considered by the Australian Government as 'essential services'.  It seems that mother Grace wanted her younger son to be employed in one of these jobs in the hope that it would keep him safe and sound at home, away from the war.

The enlistment age at the time was 20, but was lowered in 1941 to 19, and then again in 1943 to 18.  Written parental consent was required for anyone under the age of 21 though, and there was no chance that Grace or George would do that.

Thankfully WW2 ended in 1945 and Bede didn't turn 21 until October that year. 

circa 1943 Commonwealth Railways engine http://www.comrails.com/common/pic_cdm_index.html

So, Bede spent the war years working for Queensland Rail.  At that time there were steam locomotives and Bede's first job in the railway was 'Cleaner'.

'Cleaners' were responsible for cleaning the steam locomotives, both internally and externally, whilst learning about the workings of a locomotive.  'Cleaners' were also responsible for delivering the job notices to employees.  In those days, and for many many years after that, employees such as firemen and drivers would find out where they would be going on their next job by reading the job slip that would be delivered to their home address.

Troops waiting for the train to leave 1943
Copyright expired - public domain.  Source: Australian War Memorial

Railways throughout Queensland had at that time by commandeered for military purposes and Bede worked mainly on the troop trains, with a punishing roster of 7 days a week for three months continuously.  He was housed at the army training base during these duty times, and would have been subject to the rule of confidentiality, unable to tell anyone about the movement of trains.

Throughout his lifetime anyone who came to know Bede would remark on his playful personality and the way he would take impish delight in getting people to laugh!  His wicked sense of humour certainly won him many friends in the railway workforce, but some of his wild antics were a little ill-conceived.

In mid-1946, his rather impish sense of fun got him into a bit of trouble at the age of 21. Bede was mentioned in a Brisbane newspaper item that highlighted his adventurous spirit.

On July 7th, 1946, a short article in the 'Truth' newspaper, published in Brisbane, had the headline "Three in Cycle Smash".

According to the article:  "Ken Barrett (19), Bede Connors (21), and John Hart (20) were riding a motor cycle near Yandina when it skidded and they were thrown off.  Barrett suffered a compound fracture of the leg and his companions received various bodily injuries.  All were taken by ambulance to the Nambour General Hospital and Barrett was admitted."

So it seems that all three were riding the same motor cycle and strangely enough, things went awry! I do remember Dad telling a story about a motor cycle accident, but he remembered skidding off a bridge!  It sounds as if they were three very lucky young gentlemen.

Railway employees were subject to transfer throughout their career and after the war years, in 1948, Bede was transferred from Yandina, in southern Queensland to Bowen, in northern Queensland.

He was promoted from the position of  'cleaner' to  'fireman'. 

A 'fireman' would be responsible for hand firing the locomotive engine and controlling the steam the train was dependent on.  It would have been hot, dusty, very physical work.

This new position meant Bede was now working a long way from his home in Gympie.

Australian Electoral roll 1949

While the 1949 electoral roll lists Bede as living with his father George, mother Grace and older sister Beryl in Gympie, he was in fact living and working in Bowen.  He was spending his time boarding in hotels in Bowen, and was starting to build a life there away from his home town of Gympie.

 
One of the stories Dad told of his early days in Bowen (re-told to me by my brother Mark) was about an event that happened during his time boarding in one of the hotels.  He and a couple of other railway mates were having a well-earned drink or two one evening.  Apparently one of the lads dared Bede to hypnotise him!  Never one to back down from a challenge, they all proceeded up to one of the rooms where the hypnotism session began!  Challenge met, Bede and friends went back downstairs to finish their drinking session leaving the hypnotised lad in the room.

The following morning Bede turned up for work around 9.00 am, along with his driver, and they were asked where the lad was as he had not turned up for his 3.45 am shift.  Both bolted across the road to the hotel, raced upstairs and knocked on the door a few times.  The maid turned up at this time saying that she hadn't been able to open the door.  Bede's mate decides to break down the door.  They rushed in to find the missing lad fast asleep, snoring his head off.  They woke him and he flew into a panic once he realised he had missed his shift!  Apparently that was the end of Bede's hypnotist career.  Thankfully all the lads managed to keep their jobs.

Dad later said he met his bride-to-be, Margaret, on his first posting to Bowen, when they were in their mid-20s.  I'm not sure when the courtship began, but they did not marry until around ten years later, when they were in their early 30s. 

In the meantime, Bede enjoyed a busy social and sporting life in Bowen, between his shift work in the railways.  

Bowen Independent Friday July 15 1949, p 6

I found his name in the local Bowen Independent in mid-1949, accompanying a young lady named  Daphne Mulvey to her debutante ball.

Bede, possibly 1949, aged 25.
Photo shared by my cousin, Keith Connors

I was recently given this photo of Dad by my cousin, but he could give no details about when it was taken.  My Dad is with a debutante partner and the details given in the newspaper clipping above do appear to match the lovely dress that the young lady is wearing in this photo, so I think it's highly likely this is the photo taken at the debutante ball mentioned in the newspaper clipping of 1949.  

He was also mentioned in the Bowen Independent dated September of 1949.

Bede had joined the Railway Institute Cricket Club as a new player.  He was mentioned as "Bernie Connors, slow bowler from Gympie."

In 1951, aged 26, Bede applied to do what was termed "the western service".  Staff working on the trains and the platform were required to spend twelve months working in the western areas of Queensland, on the lines that ran between the outback country towns.  Once employees had completed this "western service", they could apply for a permanent home station and/or promotion.

Unfortunately Bede's "western service" was interrupted after about three months spent out in Richmond, and he had to return to Bowen because of staff shortages. He was definitely back in Bowen in early 1952, as evidenced by the appearance of his name yet again in the local Bowen newspaper.

In March of 1952, Bede was listed as one of the members of a cricket team that competed in the 'Fred Camp Knock-out Trophy' final.  Bede bowled for the Railways Team with figures of 2 overs, 14 runs, 0 wickets.  Mention was made that he was "outstanding" in the field however.

This was Bede's team.  They were the runners-up in the Camp Cup that cricket season 1951-1952.  He is seated third from the right, aged 27.

Actually between the years 1949 and 1954, Bede's name appeared in the weekly local newspaper The Bowen Independent on a regular basis.  He was playing cricket and table tennis and the results were frequently published in the newspaper.

  

Bede also loved to sing and there were several newspaper items that mentioned his part in providing entertainment at various functions in Bowen during those same years.

Photo shared by my cousin Carmel Ryan

This photo was likely taken during these years.  That's Bede on the left, looking very stylish as they head out to what might have been the local show.

(If any family members can share information about the following photos, please let me know.  I know nothing about when or where they were taken).

Bede certainly worked hard, with shifts that could start at any time of the day or night, but he also enjoyed his precious time off ... whether that be fishing, being out and about with friends, getting spruced up for dances and balls, or enjoying his favourite sports of cricket and table tennis.

Mention was made once more of Bede Connors in the Bowen Independent on July 23 1954, and this time it was as a member of a table tennis team, the Railway Whites.  The short article mentions that the Bowen Table Tennis Association had only been newly formed.  It was Bede and his good friend, Henry Allen who started the Bowen QRI (Queensland Railway Institute) Table Tennis Association; and in an newspaper article later that same year, 1954, Bede Connors was identified as the President of the Association, with Henry as the Treasurer.  Henry was a singles and doubles player, while Bede played double.  Both played for Queensland in the 50s.

During these same years - 1949 to 1954, Bede spent his holiday time visiting various places around the state of Queensland, and northern New South Wales.

The photos above show Bede holidaying in Queensland in the early 50s, with his elder sister Chris. She was to play a very important role in Bede's life a few years later.

These photos show Bede and mates holidaying on Molle Island c. 1950.

Obviously this was long before the island became known as South Molle.

When Bede was visiting, there was no fabulous resort, just cabins and a lounge & bar.

You've just got to love the trendy not-so-casual holiday attire!  

Bede's the suave-looking man sporting that marvellous hat.

Bede's holiday plans even made the local newspaper in early 1953.

Photo shared by my cousin Carmel Ryan

It seems he often went back down south to visit his family in Gympie whenever he could.

This photo shows Bede and his twin brother Reggie, whilst Bede was visiting with the family.

Image from: http://teenagerailfan.blogspot.com.au/2011/05/

The photo above shows the Bowen Railway Station sometime in 1954, when it was a very busy station and employees such as Bede, working as a 'firemen' would have been working quite long shifts, day and night.

Australian Electoral Roll 1954

At that time, aged 30, electoral roll records show that Bede was living as a boarder at Oxford House on George Street in Bowen, and his occupation was listed as 'railway fireman'.

Returning to Richmond for work in late 1954, Bede stayed for around eighteen months out west before finally getting back to Bowen in 1956, promoted to the position of 'foreman'.

 

Australian Electoral Roll 1958

By 1958, according to electoral roll records, Bede had moved into Bowen's Grand View Hotel, and his occupation was recorded as 'railway foreman'.  

Steam locomotives were being replaced by diesel electric locomotives throughout Queensland around this time, and the 'Sunlander' was a common sight on the rail lines. Times were changing!  At some point after 1958 Bede gained the position of 'driver'  and he was to spend the rest of his very long career with Queensland Rail stationed in Bowen, driving trains between Townsville to the north and Mackay to the south.

Bede and Margaret Brigid O'Donnell were married in January 1959 in Bowen.  Bede was aged 34.  They had met when Bede first moved to Bowen, over ten years earlier, and had gotten to know each other well over the years.  Bede had forged close friendships with a couple of Margaret's brothers when he had joined the local cricket club, and was by this time very well known by Margaret's family.  

By the end of 1961 Bede and Margaret had a daughter and a son, and had moved into their own home in Denison Street.  Sadly, Bede's married life was to be short-lived.

He became a widower in 1968, never re-marrying.  Shortly after losing his wife Margaret, his older sister Chris left her home in Gympie and moved in to help with the care of the family.  As Bede was a shift worker in the railways, it was almost impossible for him to care for his daughter and son by himself.  His shifts were long and he could be called in to work at any hour of the day or night.  Bede's elder sister Chris stayed for close to 20 years helping to care for his children and his home.

I remember Dad getting up in the middle of the night many, many times; getting ready for work, picking up his hot food thermos can and torch, and then walking from the back of our house, across empty paddocks to the railway station. I can't remember him taking sick days, even when he was wincing with the pain of the horrid boils which would afflict him constantly.

Bede worked with Queensland Rail until he retired at the age of 65 in 1989, ending a nearly 50-year career in the railway.

Perhaps those in higher positions didn't mind too much when he retired, as it was just a couple of years prior to that when he prompted his fellow workers to strike.  The Area Manager had called in the drivers, firemen and guards (collectively called the Running Men) who were on the duty one day and proceeded to explain his wonderful idea about changing some of their duties around the station.  One of the workers apparently exclaimed "Not on!" and wondered aloud what they could all do about it.  From the back of the room, a voice stated "Let's go on strike!"  That was Bede!  The strike lasted for 5 days, and he managed to get in some treasured lawn bowls time, which had become his favourite leisure time activity by then  (story told to me by my brother Mark).

This was another of Bede's traits.  His straight-forward, tell-it-like-it-is approach to life meant he was not backward in coming forward with his opinions or saying what he thought should be said!

Now I thought I should post some treasured photos from a few of the decades of Bede's life, beginning with:

1960s - showing Bede with his own small family

1970s - showing some of the favourite things Bede loved to do:  spending Christmas with the family, studying the horse racing form guide in the newspaper, growing his beloved Roses, fishing every now and then, and sitting out on the front porch.

Bede often exhibited flowers in the local Show.  Roses were his passion!  I vividly remember having to sit in the back of our Morris Minor holding onto bunches of Roses, all carefully packed with cotton wool between the petals to protect them on the trip to the show grounds.

After many years of growing and exhibiting flowers, Bede completed a horticultural judges' course in the late 1960s, and went to judge some of the flower shows in the Bowen, Collinsville, Burdekin Shows of the 70s and early 80s.

 

1980s - his children grow up, his grandchildren come along and his brothers and sisters reach the autumn years of their lives.

Bede celebrated his milestone 90th birthday in 2014.  By that time he had lost his father, mother and all siblings, apart from one sister.  He got to celebrate one more birthday in 2015, and then passed in early 2016, survived by his two children, two grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

Bede was buried at the Bowen Cemetery and was laid to rest in the same plot as his beloved wife, Margaret.

💗   Family Anecdote:  thanks to my cousin Carmel

(About my Aunt Chris, who came to Bowen to look after her brother Bede's family when his wife, my Mum, died.  Christ left her home in Gympie and eventually stayed for close to 20 years in Bowen).

"On a personal (and purely selfish note), although I really admired her decision to leave, I was still at school and really missed Auntie Chrissie when she went to live in Bowen. (Boy, could she cook a roast! Every Tuesday lunch time, I would cycle to her place for a hot roast lunch and Cadbury chocolates for dessert)

Occasionally, she would return to Gympie and the whole clan would take her to the station in the middle of the night to catch the Sunlander back to Bowen."

💗   Another Family Anecdote:   thanks to my cousin John

"THE TRIP TO THE RACES WITH BEDE

Albion Park was the first major city racecourse I ever attended and guess who took me there when I was in about year 10; Uncle Bede. 

That too was the year I met one of his oldest friends from Bowen. His name was Arthur who kept calling Bede, 'Bernie'. 

When I asked Bede why, up went the index finger to pursed lips followed by a hushed “Ssssssshhhhhhhh!”; a look to the left, then to the right around the crowd in the bar and then back to over his left shoulder and then in a muted whispered, secretive tone he told me that “Bernie” was the code name he used for whenever he travelled interstate on undercover secret investigative work for Queensland Railways. 

I was later to learn of course that everyone and their dog called him Bernie in Bowen. 

I remember we stayed at the Empire Hotel on the corner of Edward and Elizabeth Streets and on the Friday night the bar was packed with sporting and racing identities from the Brisbane Telegraph, the Courier Mail and the Sunday Truth and they all knew “Bernie”. Two of those are no longer in print but back in the day they were highly popular and part of life. 

Right after supper I went up to my room and went to bed.

The next morning Bede and Arthur were more than just a little hung over but we still managed to get to the races at Albion Park before the first race. 

In those days the parade lane from the mounting yard in front of the member’s stand to the big gates leading out to the track itself was only about 3 metres wide and ran along the fence lined with the crowd and punters eager to get a look at the horses and their jockeys. You could almost reach out and touch them. 

The crowd cheered them by, wishing them luck and waving at their favourite riders so I told Bede I wanted to get down there and wish Andy luck too. Bede thought that was nice but that I had to remember Andy was very superstitious and had only fallen off a horse once so I had to wish him not to fall off. 

Down I go, squeezing in right up to the fence and as Andy Tindall, the Premier Jockey in Brisbane Racing at the time, was parading, I waved, smiled and called out, “Andy, Don’t fall off! Don’t fall off Andy! 

His head swivelled round to glare at me and the expression on his scowling face said it all but not as much as the two fingers on his left hand, in the shape of a V, which he kept on waving up and down at me as he passed. 

Well he didn’t win the first race but he did win the Albion Park Cup on that grand old stayer Sumarco. 

Needless to say I did not go down to the fence to wish him good luck."

💗   Yet another Family Anecdote:   thanks once more to my cousin John

Dad (on the left) with my cousin John and John's wife Colleen

"INDIAN LOVE CALL

This is a photo of Uncle Bede, Colleen and Yours Truly at a Birthday party for Mum in Gympie. It is one of my favourites and you can see the beaming light of devilment in Bede’s smiling face. 

When we were kids growing up in Gympie one of the great and much anticipated highlights of every Christmas was Uncle Bede’s return home on his annual holidays.

He was just so much fun.

He was a real trickster though and everyone had to be wary. 

I remember one year when Ann and I were about 14, he took Beryl and the two of us down to Brisbane for a day trip on the steam train to see the latest Cinemascope movie musical called “Rosemarie”. It was a coloured movie, starring Howard Keel, Anne Blyth and a Brazilian heart throb named Fernando LaMas. We all knew the songs and story from the original black and white movie with Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald. One of Oggie’s favourite movies.

Back in the day going from Gympie to Brisbane by train was one hell of a great adventure. Well, as we’re queueing up on the footpath for the doors of the Wintergarden Theatre in Albert Street to open, Bede tells me that when I get up to the ticket window if I sing “The Indian Love Call” from "Rosemarie", they’d let me in for free and give me a packet of popcorn as well.

10.00 am. The doors open. The line outside on the footpath begins to move forward like a giant snake of many colours, winding its way to the box office to buy tickets for "Rosemarie". We were at the front, so I didn’t have to wait long for my turn.

When I got to the box office window I was greeted by a little, old, thin lady with purple hair and a pair of huge, yellow-rimmed glasses perched on the biggest nose I have ever seen. Even bigger than Emanuel Paspallas’s mother. 

“Two shillings Please!” 

“I can sing!” I proudly announced. 

“Wonderful!! Two shillings Please.” 

“When I’m calling yoouuuuuu… oo oo ooo…..oo oo…oooooo!!

Will you answer tooooooooooo….oo oo oo….oo oo …oooo!!”

Quick as a flash she jumps off the high chair she was perched on, looks out through the box office window and cries out, “Who owns this kid?” 

Bede steps in.”He’s with us. He’ll be fine. Just excited about the movie.” 

“Take him away NOW and he can get in for free!!!” 

“What about the popcorn?” I plead. 

“All Gone!!!” she screams.

The movie was okay I guess. Ann cried a couple of times. Beryl loved Howard Keel, Bede went to sleep, but I thought Fernando LaMas’s rendition of “The Indian Love Call” left a lot to be desired."

Special Note to any family members:  If you have memories to add, photos or information to share, can I graciously ask that you do so.  Please use the comments box below or email me.  It may prove to be invaluable to the story and provide future generations with something to truly treasure.