Santa Claus Steve Neff from Shepparton embodies Christmas spirit

For two decades Shepparton’s Steve Neff has donned Santa’s big red suit to dispense festive cheer. But how does “Santa’s brother” spend his own Christmas Day?

DRESSED in a velvet red suit, with a white beard and clanging a big bell, Steve Neff cuts a fine Santa Claus figure.

But really the 52-year-old from Shepparton should be called Mr Christmas, because he embodies the spirit of the festive season.

For two decades Steve has been “Santa’s brother — we’re a big family”, donning the big man’s suit each November and December to bring joy to children at hospitals, schools, disability centres, as well as aged care and shopping centres through bookasanta.com.au.

He covers a 50km radius, including Benalla to Cobram, working weekends, taking time off from his full-time job and even shifting his own family get-togethers to squeeze in Saint Nicholas duties.

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For all those years he has refused payment.

“I never knock people back when they ask me, even on Christmas Day or Boxing Day,” Steve says.

“I don’t do it for money, it’s all voluntary. It’s not work, it’s fun. You do it for the kids and the community, although I do get cookies and beer.

“How can you charge people for sitting and having your photo taken?”

Steve is also the president of Shepparton’s Christmas For Those Alone committee, overseeing a group of 70 volunteers who — each December 25 — cook about 400 meals in the town’s old showgrounds building for anyone who wants to come along.

“We get free gifts, which are donated to every child, and we fundraise or get donated the food, for a two-course meal,” says Steve, who was Santa at the lunch before becoming president of the committee.

Saint Nick: Shepparton's Steve Neff dresses up as Santa Claus each year and volunteers his time. Pictures: Zoe Phillips

“It started 19 years ago and in the last five years it has exploded because people don’t have a lot of money and there’s also loneliness at this time of year — people who are single and don’t have family, it can be difficult.

“I get more enjoyment helping others than I do for myself.”

Steve grew up on a dairy farm out of Shepparton and now works for an Aboriginal cooperative as a case worker. He also runs a suicide support group called We Listen, for families who have been hit by tragedy.

The father-of-three and grandfather-of-five was president of the school council when he was first asked to be a Santa “and then the phone kept ringing and I’ve done it ever since”.

“Some people come back every year to see me as Santa. There are even some who I saw first as kids who now bring their own kids,” he says. “I’ve learnt not to ask children what they want for Christmas because years ago I did that and the little girl said she wanted her daddy and it turns out he’d died that year and so I gave the mum and daughter a big hug. Now every year that mother and daughter come back to see me.”

He says there are other dos and don’ts in being a Santa: don’t hug or touch unless given permission and don’t force a child to have a photo.

“Because we teach stranger danger, most kids are scared. So I tell parents not to force them to have a photo because they should have good memories of Santa. I give them knuckles or a high-five to let them know I’m real and I tell them they can call me Nick,” Steve says.

“I talk to kids one-on-one, quietly to reassure and calm them, and I always talk about the positives.

“If they read me a letter and tell me what they want for Christmas I’ll say if they don’t get what they want it’s not because they’ve been bad, but because Santa is sometimes forgetful.

Shepparton's Steve Neff dresses up as Santa Claus each year and volunteers at hospitals, schools, disability centres, as well as aged care and shopping centres. Picture: ZOE PHILLIPS

“You can’t promise what you can’t deliver, because you don’t
know the parents’ financial circumstances.”

Steve grows a beard every year to fundraise for a cancer charity, but cuts it off by October, so he has to resort to a fake beard. He masks his dark eyebrows with white paint and uses red blush on his cheeks.

Unlike some Santas, Steve hasn’t been on the Christmas diet and so has to wear a fake belly, made by his mother-in-law using a foam pillow with bean bag beans.

He admits he has had to cop a few knocks over the years, especially when kids are angry.

Babies have thrown up on him, one little boy peed on his leg, another tried to pull his pants down, and he was also pushed backwards off his chair.

“Not all kids are perfect. Often the best ones are those with autism or who have a disability because they’re so natural, want a hug and really believe in Santa.”

Steve says sadly he’s seen Christmas become more commercialised over the past two decades and believes “we’ve lost the spirit of giving”.

“It’s become more about ‘I want’, about taking, than ‘what can I give?’” he says.

“Life is serious these days and Christmas is the one time of the year to have fun. Children don’t stay young for long so enjoy it while you can.

“For me it’s about the joy and the smiles on the kids’ and parents’ faces.

“I have a motto that inspires me: what we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others remains immortal.”