THE sad passing of Susan Whitehead known to most as Sue or Susie will be hard felt by her family and the Nebo Community. Susie died 14 days short of her 68th birthday on November 4th, 2014, after a long battle with breast cancer.
Susie was an import to the Nebo district, born in Brisbane, and raised between Yungaburra, Cairns and Townsville.
The combined eulogies of John Lyons of Townsville, a long standing family friend, and Anne Stuart, Susie’s cousin and neighbour gave a glimpse of a life so full and yet too short.
Sue was, without question, a woman for all seasons. She radiated enthusiasm and warmth, touching many lives. Sue instilled love and fond memories of which we all share.
There are few people whose lives were not richer for having known and loved Susie.
She possessed many outstanding qualities and had the gift of being influential in enhancing the lives of others.
She had the knack of being able to talk on any subject with people from all walks of life. She possessed a ‘common touch’ and her community service efforts were witness to her strong sense of fairness and justice.
Susan Claudia was born on November 18, 1946, the daughter of Clive and Maureen Williams. Two and four years later, Sue welcomed her siblings Clive (Jnr) and Paul.
On the imminent arrival of young Paul, Sue’s grandmother, Nanna Meldrum, took it upon herself to enrol Sue in school. Nanna informed the nuns at St Monica’s that if they did not enrol Sue, she would have to go to the State School!
The Mercy nuns happily accepted Sue into their fold and her spiritual life along with her lessons commenced.
Regular trips to the Williams’ ancestral home at the Lake Eacham Hotel, Yungaburra, saw special relationships develop between Sue and her aunts Marce and Erin, both accomplished pianists.
These close friendships strongly influenced Sue’s love of music and her style in playing the piano.
Sue was very keen on recording the Williams’ family history. She produced two recordings of Auntie Erin playing the piano and also a tape recorded series of interviews with Auntie Maude and other family elders of the Williams Family at the Lake Eacham Hotel and Woodleigh Station, Ravenshoe. Sue collected much of the family history which was later shared with Uncle Ned, Peter Williams and the Kehoe family. From these foundations further publications of Williams, Kehoe and Tanner family history emerged.
Sue’s dad, Clive, was a motor dealer and in 1960 relocated to Townsville when appointed local manager of Austral Motors.
Sue’s first school in Townsville was St Patrick’s College.
Sue later boarded at Stuartholme College in Brisbane, where she completed her secondary studies. Sue’s academic inclinations were always toward the field of music. She eventually followed this love and became a wonderful and passionate music teacher.
Sue taught Piano at St Margaret Mary’s in Townsville, at Blackheath in Charters Towers and later at Glennie in Toowoomba.
Her family home on Melton Hill, at 16 Cleveland Terrace was legendary.
Legendary, because it was the Brothers Rugby Club spiritual home and to top it off, dad Clive was patron of Townsville Rugby.
John Lyons, President of Brothers in the early 70’s, was regularly in touch with the family and remembers on Grand Final day, the club would meet at No 16 to be hosted for a light lunch prior to heading to the footy field to play.
Sue was very much the proud product of her loving parents, Maureen and Clive. Sue and her family made their own fun and the love they shared with each other was infectious.
The welcome mat in their happy home was always out especially for those in need. Whether it was a bed after cyclone Althea in 1971 or the wise counsel of her father Clive, Sue’s door was always open.
This welcoming trait never left Sue; she regularly hosted many a friend and often a lost soul for a ‘breather from the pressures of life’, to be spent in her own home at Cockenzie Station, Nebo.
As Sue never drank alcohol she was in high demand as our Rugby transport director. Nearly everyone in the Blue and White colours of the club had at some time been offered a lift home with Susie, to avoid the proverbial breath test.
All good things come to an end. When Susie married Frances John Whitehead in Townsville on April 24, 1973 the blue and white jersey boys were left to “Shank’s pony” for Saturdays thereafter!
Susie moved to Cockenzie Station, a cattle property 25 kilometres from Nebo. Life in the mid ‘70’s was very trying for those on the land making a living from cattle, when cows were worth $26 per head and riding boots worth $36!
In typical North Queensland spirit, Susie and her cousin Anne, (who had met her husband, Alex, at John and Sue’s wedding) lightened the mood of the harsh circumstances in the community by organising fundraisers and benefit nights.
The New Year’s Eve and Easter cabarets to raise funds for the Catholic Church; and the Stockyard Stampedes at show time in Mackay to bring town and country folk together.
Susie was passionate about education in the bush – stemming from her attempt to home-tutor Sally, Cameron and James at Cockenzie - starting off with School of the Air in Cairns and finishing with Distant Education in Charters Towers.
One morning, Miss Darby was doing roll call, and got James on radio. He said “Miss Darby, Mum’s not in the classroom. The milker’s in the house yard and mum’s just shot her up the backside with buckshot.”
Susie was devastated – it was broadcast all over north Queensland, but the milker never returned to the garden. Another occasion, Sally and Cameron were in class with Mr Watkins.
“What is all the noise in the background kids?” “Oh it’s just Mum, she’s just jumping on a snake Sir – over.”
“Oh! What’s she doing now – over?”
“Awww…she’s sitting down sir – over”!
“I bet she is! I don’t blame her!” Mr Watkins said.
Susie’s fight for geographically isolated children was just starting. She was district coordinator for the mobile school of the air classroom; she was part of the inaugural group of Nebo branch ICPA (Isolated Children’s Parents’ Association) in 1977.
She went on to be president for many years and convened an ICPA State Conference in Mackay in 1986. She then went on to State Council for two years. She is a life member of the Nebo ICPA Branch.
She was representative to central and State management and the Brigalow Local Area Committee of the Priority Country Area Program, known to us as PCAP.
She was also a representative on the board of St Joseph’s College Nudgee.
The Positive Rural Future Conference was born out of Susie seeing a need for a focus on positive outlooks in rural communities during the long drought years in Central Queensland.
She convinced PCAP to run with the idea in conjunction with the Department of Primary Industries. It was a wonderful concept and showcased the positives of good rural leadership and what could be done with a hand up – not a hand out.
Susie’s biggest achievement – apart from her own beautiful children – is her sole instigation of a project she called “Children to Children”, for the victims of the Aitape Tsunami – where her friends and their children’s’ friends - the Parer family had businesses.
Susie took it upon herself to find donations to help rebuild the educational needs of these very isolated children, starting with pencils and paper from children at Nebo State School which grew to books, desks and monetary donations.
She then coordinated the packing and delivery of such goods, making up three containers to ship to Papua New Guinea.
Graham Jenkinson offered her storage for the project and Graeme Ransley – who owned Mackay Tyrepower, offered much assistance, which started the very special relationship she had with Graham and RAAG (Road Accident Action Group).
Scott Bevan of the TV program “A Current Affair” did a documentary on Susie from Cockenzie to Aitape, and her efforts in making the project a success, and flew her there to meet the families she was helping.
The Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea rang “A Current Affair” during an ad to thank them. Ray Martin was the anchor-man who took the call and stated: “Well who said there aren’t any good stories anymore!”
She was always battling with local council over something, mostly the Cockenzie road, or chairs in the hall, or to have the highway slashed, whatever.
After a long conversation with the respected CEO Wilson McLaughlin, Mr McLaughlin said to her “Ever thought of becoming a used car salesperson?”
“Actually” she replied, “my father sold Mercedes Benz in Townsville!”
With the children growing older, and Nebo’s changing face, there were other issues. We became concerned Nebo would lose its identity with the fast growing mining industry and rapid changes, so we threw ourselves into what would become the Nebo Community Development Group.
We got the Nebo News up and running again, and had a lot of input into that for 10 years with the help of other great girls. The NCDG breakfast meetings were an instant hit, as they set up a forum for the new industry people to connect with the local community.
Next came the Roadsafe Campaign, born out of the desperate need of funding for the Peak Downs highway and the huge safety issue for all of us travelling the road. The Road Safe Rest Stop was set up for 24 hours a day for the duration of the September holidays.
Our group believed the power of the community were instrumental, as well as reinforcing what local government was doing in gaining eight million dollars to kick-start the improvements on the Highway. All along we were given great support by RAAG and the Mining companies.
Susie was relentless. She was our proverbial road warrior – mind you she spent a lot of time on it at odd hours. A lot of the travelling she did on her own – whether this was by choice, or the fact that by the time she had packed all her wondrous hats, many bags of pearls and wardrobe…there wasn’t room for anyone else!
She spent tens of hours on the speed radar gun (lent to us from Main Roads and Transport) to record traffic and speeds for our stats. She would wave the cars down with a tea towel.
We did a 6pm to 6am shift together at the first road safe rest stop – a makeshift rest stop using a horse float. It was so cold we played bowls with apples to keep ourselves warm.
We were asked to go to the CARRS RACQ conference in Brisbane to showcase our concept on road safety, and enter the community category of awards. We won and were also awarded the Premier’s outstanding achievement award, which is not given out regularly.
Susie was asked to give a presentation on the Roadsafe Campaign to the Mining Industry Road Safety Alliance, made up of many big mining companies and their subsidiaries. She said “I can’t give PowerPoint presentations!”
So she took her red tea towel threw it over her shoulder and just told them our story. We got funded!
Her compassion was for many. She worried about the SES people having to clean up the carnage on the highway, so she sold pillows at the Nebo rodeos with road safety messages on them, donated by MIRSA, the money going to the SES.
She was a member of the Nebo Bushman’s Carnival. She helped on the gate, bar and did smokos sometimes all in one day and that was after she would have knotted the string of pearls for the Ladies Campdraft necklace of which she so kindly donated and sponsored for years and pearl bracelets for the rodeo queen.
She worried about the one policeman station, and fought hard for extra hours, and a two policemen station. She would ring them to see if they were “OK” if they had had a stressful job to attend.
She would be the first person to pack the hampers, thermos of tea and water for the rural fire fighters on the nearby properties.
She was a music teacher and had a beautiful voice. Her teaching career took her to Townsville, Charters Towers and Toowoomba. She sang and was bridesmaid at a lot of western weddings; sang a solo with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra; and
As already mentioned she was renowned for her piano playing stamina. In Nebo, we hold the record for the longest Mass. Fr Dan Moore’s send-off started at 7pm Saturday, and ended at 7am Sunday!
She had blisters on her fingers, and that night she lost her singing voice! Father Dan said she brought love and laughter to the world.
Susie had an incredible belief in her God, The power of the Rosary, the saints and the angels. The angels guarded the pearls, found her car parks, and got her back to Cockenzie at all times of day and night, and in all kinds of weather on the black soil. She was the ultimate Good Samaritan and had amazing trust in people, she would always stop if there was a car pulled to the side of the road; she was asked what she would do if the occupants weren’t all that nice, her reply was “I’d just hug them!”
That was Susie!
Susie’s heart knew no bounds. When John’s sister Maria was tragically ill with a brain tumour and required months of treatment in Townsville hospital, it was Sue who spent every day of those three months by her side.
She was happiest when her children and grandchildren were around her – like bees around a honey pot. Everything she did within the community was to make life better for them and their futures.
Susie was a warm and loving companion to John and the best mother and grandmother one could wish to be. She knew her life was blessed. Susie’s heart, mind and soul belonged to her family.
Sue’s fight and resilience in the face of illness were witness to her love of life. Sue will live on with each of us through our own journey in life. From time to time her memory will spark a few fond tears and eventually smiles, because Susie had that wonderful gift of making us happy.
Sue loved her family so much, she didn’t want to leave. But as each of us will in our own due time…. It was Susie’s time to go!
Alex Stuart added, Susie was a wonderful neighbour, friend and in-law. She was a truly inspirational community leader and we have all benefited from her presence in our lives. Her family, community and friends will all miss her dearly.