I have met many people as I have travelled through life, some of influence, some just passing. The person with the strongest influence on me would have to be my wife, Carole. In fact, I would have to say Carole has been my soul mate throughout my life. I met her as a student at Brighton High School, although I didn’t think at the time that we would have a life together. After all, Carole was a prefect, which meant that she moved in different circles as school. I organized football and cricket while Carole mixed with the Principal and teachers. I guess I was envious of her position and, typical of boys in year nine, more interested in riding bikes down to the beach with my mates.
As time passed at school, we boys took more notice of the girls. There was some pairing off of boys and girls, but Carole was not one to go out with school boys. Most of us didn’t think we had a chance with a prefect and discuss thrower, so Carole was just ‘one of us’ in the sports teams. I got to know her family as we progressed to year eleven as her father coached school boy athletes and I was keen on becoming a better runner, so gradually our paths crossed.
Carole’s mother Grace was someone I count as a strong influence in my life. Carole was very welcoming to me as she was very warm and welcoming to me when I started to take Carole out to the pictures, as you did in those days.
Carole’s father was different from any other male I had met till then. He rode racehorses in track work early in the morning; worked in the state savings Bank during the day, then trained foot runners in the evening. He was a busy man.
When we were about nineteen Carole’s family moved to Benalla and I went to Culcairn to work for a family who were very cost conscious, very mean in caring for their workers. This taught me the value of awards with their statements on working conditions, as well as the importance of the union movement, in the battle for improvements for workers. All of this helped me during my working life in the agricultural industry, especially in the running of shearing sheds.
Another person of influence met through the union movement was Bob Hawke. Bob came to speak to the workers at a wool store I was working at long before he was known to the political world. I thought at the time, “This bloke knows how to put it together”.
Other influences in my early life were a number of football coaches I met. The two who stand out were country football coaches Lenny Templar and Jeff McCubbery. Lenny was a great one for running and never looking tired, so walking around with hands on tips was out. Jeff was the coach who trained us to never give up. Our crowning glory was a grand final win.
Later in life I met a number of Prime Ministers and Treasurers, but none had the same influence on me as the people I have mentioned here.
Godfrey Marple, June 2016
As time passed at school, we boys took more notice of the girls. There was some pairing off of boys and girls, but Carole was not one to go out with school boys. Most of us didn’t think we had a chance with a prefect and discuss thrower, so Carole was just ‘one of us’ in the sports teams. I got to know her family as we progressed to year eleven as her father coached school boy athletes and I was keen on becoming a better runner, so gradually our paths crossed.
Carole’s mother Grace was someone I count as a strong influence in my life. Carole was very welcoming to me as she was very warm and welcoming to me when I started to take Carole out to the pictures, as you did in those days.
Carole’s father was different from any other male I had met till then. He rode racehorses in track work early in the morning; worked in the state savings Bank during the day, then trained foot runners in the evening. He was a busy man.
When we were about nineteen Carole’s family moved to Benalla and I went to Culcairn to work for a family who were very cost conscious, very mean in caring for their workers. This taught me the value of awards with their statements on working conditions, as well as the importance of the union movement, in the battle for improvements for workers. All of this helped me during my working life in the agricultural industry, especially in the running of shearing sheds.
Another person of influence met through the union movement was Bob Hawke. Bob came to speak to the workers at a wool store I was working at long before he was known to the political world. I thought at the time, “This bloke knows how to put it together”.
Other influences in my early life were a number of football coaches I met. The two who stand out were country football coaches Lenny Templar and Jeff McCubbery. Lenny was a great one for running and never looking tired, so walking around with hands on tips was out. Jeff was the coach who trained us to never give up. Our crowning glory was a grand final win.
Later in life I met a number of Prime Ministers and Treasurers, but none had the same influence on me as the people I have mentioned here.
Godfrey Marple, June 2016
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