Farewell: Family, friends gather to mourn and celebrate tourism pioneer Peter Severin

MORE than 400 people have gathered to remember Territory tourism pioneer Peter Severin, a man who ‘loved life’

• Peter Severin dies in Curtin Springs

MUCH-LOVED “man of the Territory who helped build the Red Centre as we know today” Peter Severin was farewelled in a touching service that recognised the highs and lows of the tourism pioneer’s long life.

Hundreds of friends, family and former workmates gathered at Alice Springs Convention Centre yesterday to remember and celebrate the life of the pastoralist, who died last month, aged 94.

He established a well-known remote roadhouse near Uluru more than six decades ago.

Peter arrived in Curtin Springs with his wife Dawn and son Ashley in 1956, along with 1500 head of cattle, and made it the first tourist stop outside Alice Springs.

In that year, the station had just six visitors but a short time later tourists started heading to the nearby Uluru and the station began serving “endless batches of scones and cups of tea”.

Peter was one of the first tourism people to recognise the value of Uluru and played a major role establishing infrastructure in the late 1950s.

Peter Severin farewelled

Peter’s son, Ashley Severin reflected growing up and working on country with his father, and remembered the good times they shared, especially when the land was green after rainfall.

“Dad had a work culture that would kill a bull,” he said.

“His philosophy was you can’t succeed if you don’t try.

“Lyndee (Ashley’s wife and Peter’s daughter-in-law) asked him during last few days, ‘Where is your favourite place on the property?’.

“Without hesitation he said, ‘The kitchen … it’s where I share time with others and make decisions’.”

Friend, Chris McManus recalled the time Peter – whom he described as “a family man of grit and honesty” was given a buggy for his 80th birthday, and immediately crashed it.

Peter was also remembered by several employees at The Bureau of Meteorology in Darwin for this work recording rainfall observations for more than 50 years.

The men said Peter always greeted them with “a smile, cheeky grin and spring in his step”, and “visiting him was a reminder how you can live your life in the face of true adversities”.

Peter’s age did not stop him getting up for work at 4am, his granddaughter Lisa recalled.

She spoke of the special relationship between her father and Peter, whom she affectionately named ‘Poppa’, which she described as a lifelong mateship with an unwavering loyalty for more than six decades.

Peter Severin remembered in Alice Springs.

“Poppa and dad always had each other’s back, be in the cattle yards or in the house.

“One of his favourite sayings was, ‘It’s obvious you weren’t brought up in a drought’, especially when we were eating our dinner,” she said.

She said was never without a Fosters (beer) in hand at beer o’clock, easily luring in tourists – “Come and pull up a stump mate.”

“Listening to poppa was like touching history … he could hold court for hours.”

EARLIER: MORE than 400 people have gathered to remember Peter Severin, a man who “loved life”.

Among the crowd is Tourism Central Australia chief executive Danial Rochford and chairman Patrick Bedford, Alice Springs Airport general Dave Batic, Member for Namatjira Bill Yan and members of the NT Police Force and emergency services personnel.

The funeral is being live streamed online for friends and family afar.

Mr Severin died last month, aged 94, at the iconic remote roadhouse near Uluru he established more than six decades ago.

The Celebration of Life for Peter Severin is being held at the Alice Springs Convention Centre on the 9th March

He arrived in Curtin Springs with his wife Dawn and son Ashley in 1956, along with 1500 head of cattle, and made it the first tourist stop outside Alice Springs.

In that year, the station had just six visitors but a short time later tourists started heading to the nearby Uluru and the station began serving “endless batches of scones and cups of tea”.

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Peter was one of the first tourism people to recognise the value of Uluru and played a major role establishing infrastructure in the late 1950s.

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He was awarded the Northern Territory Tourism Minister’s Perpetual Trophy in 2017 in recognition of his contributions to the industry, and Curtin Springs in the same year took out several categories for outstanding tourism.

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