Farewell to much-loved man

Chinchilla says goodbye to well-known, long-time local Stuart John Robert Fraser.

TIRELESS WORKER: Stuart Fraser was a much-loved community member. Picture: Contributed

FAMILY and friends have gathered to remember a Chinchilla stalwart, Stuart John Robert Fraser.

A dearly loved father, 'Poppy', and 'Great-poppy', Mr Fraser passed away peacefully on Monday, November 12.

And as his son, Chris, explained, Mr Fraser had an incredible 87 years.

The family - Stuart's mother Jessie, father Alexander and older brother Leslie - arrived in Australia from Scotland in 1923 during the Australian and English Group Settlement Scheme.

As part of the land allocation allotments, they were settled in the Manjimup area, some 300km south of Perth, to begin their new life.

The family soon expanded with the birth of another four children: daughters Mary and Betty and sons Stuart and Don, who is the only surviving sibling.

After their mother's early death, Stuart and Don were put into care at the Werribee Boys' Home in 1937, what Chris described as a "very deprived” period of the boys' lives.

On turning 14, Stuart left Werribee to start working and at 16 headed to New Zealand, where he eventually settled in Waimate and worked picking potatoes, driving trucks, shearing, and eventually in the meatworks at Pareora, known as Canterbury Lamb.

Stuart returned to Australia in the late '50s for Don's wedding, working in Broome and later Tara, where he met his future wife, Nona. They were married in Chinchilla in 1961.

The couple went back to Waimate in New Zealand, where their three children Andrew, Rhonda and Christopher were born.

"Following the death of Mum's father, George Littleproud, Dad, Mum and we three new additions returned to Mum's family farm at Canaga, where Dad worked in partnership with Grandma Littleproud, Mum's sister Eva and husband Barry clearing land for crops, running both cattle and sheep, bringing some of those strange New Zealand farming techniques, while Mum returned to teaching in Chinchilla,” Chris said.

"By 1973, with growing kids and busy sports lives, we moved into town to live at the now family home, with Dad continuing to work the farm.

"In Dad's later years, he was most at peace sitting on the veranda here taking in the trees, gardens and wildlife that he and Mum had created together.”

Stuart loved growing extensive vegie crops and native trees.

"I remember buying Dad this calendar once, I just liked the look of it, but it turned out to be a lunar calendar and became Dad's bible for managing the planting, pruning, feeding and picking of these native trees and his vegies,” Chris said.

"Somehow Woman's Day heard about these people that farmed to the moon phases and did a story, Farming by the Moon, on Tarri-anne Dieben and Dad. Dad was very proud of this story although a little embarrassed.”

In the late '70s Stuart also started an aluminium welding works at Boonarga, "being one of the first in Australia to design and make aluminium bull bars”, Chris said.

Stuart's other interests included golf and travel, and he was also involved in the Lions Club, the Canaga Cow Cockies Carnival local committee and the Tourist Information Centre.

Chris said despite experiencing many varied health problems through the years, including throat cancer and heart troubles, his father kept coming back from adversity.

"I am sure he used every one of his nine lives to the fullest,” he said.

"The local hospital and ambulance staff have on many occasions cheerfully and gently been a family support and always treating Dad with care and dignity, for which our family is forever grateful.”

Stuart spent his final 18months at Illoura Village.

He will be missed by family, friends and associates in the wider Chinchilla community.