EULOGY - William (Bill) (Hoony) Walter Edward - 1930-2025

My Working life and Eulogy by William (Bill) (Hoony) Walter Edward.

I was the first of 5 brothers and 1 sister born to Albert and Vera Edward on the 23^rd of December 1930. From a baby I was raised by my Grandparents Isaac & Clara Christian in my old home, The Pines, which was left to me by Grandma.

I left school at the age of 15 and commenced a 5-year motor mechanic apprenticeship with Bill Maher, ex Warrant Officer RAEME Australian Army at the beginning of 1945, right at the location where NIBS Aluminium Workshop are today. The whole property at the time belonged to Joe Jenkins, Storekeeper who lived at Bucks Point.

During the Second World War the New Zealand 363 Battalion commandeered the property which became the Ordnance Branch and vehicle workshop.
On the completion of my apprenticeship at the end of 1950 my second Brother Frank who left the Island a year earlier for work in Wellington NZ, had returned to the Island for Christmas Holiday. It was then I decided I would travel back with him to New Zealand and seek out a job. I started work in a garage in Jackson Street Petone, not far from our board and lodgings. I attended night school at Lower Hut Technical College for the whole year. Finally, I sat the year end exam and obtained my A GRADE written Certificate. The practical exam did not take place till early 1952, at which time Frank and me had left Wellington to return to Norfolk for Christmas. At this juncture I decided that I wouldn’t be going back to New Zealand.

I knew people in Melbourne and decided I would try my luck for a job there. I arrived in Melbourne during January of 1952 and started work in Caulfield at a garage handy to where I boarded. It wasn’t long before I decided I would approach the Department of Civil Aviation for a job. I got an instant start as Motor Mechanic at the Mechanical Maintenance Workshops right on Essendon Airport. I attended trade courses at the Melbourne Institute of Technology for the next15 months. I hadn’t been long in Melbourne when square dancing was the rage and I grew to love it and Ballroom Dancing. I grew to love Aussie Rules and became a staunch supporter of the Bombers Essendon, where I went to live all my years in Melbourne and I still follow them with much admiration!

June of 1953, I transferred to a vacant position with the Head Office Works party operating throughout the Northern Territory Region with the installation of Stand by Diesel Generating set of various navigational aids locations.

During line ups between awaiting equipment and materials I became engaged in Darwin Regional Workshops, and I was made Senior Motor Mechanic at this time. During June of 1954, I had to attend the Civil Aviation Diesel and Electrical Maintenance School of Moorabbin Victoria. With preference to travel by road I was lucky in knowing a fellow employee, who was motoring to Melbourne through Alice Springs and Adelaide to Melbourne.

I bought a car in Melbourne and on completion of the course I and my wife to be motored up the Hume Highway to Sydney, the New England Highway to Armidale, then across to Grafton, then followed the coast road all the way to Brisbane and Cairns. Finally departed Townville via Mount Isa to Darwin. It wasn’t long following my arrival back in Darwin that we were moved to Perth West Australia, pending further work in Port Headland and Carnarvon.

I got married prior to our departure by car from Darwin through Alice Springs and south through South Australia to a town called Wirrulla. We headed west through Ceduna, Eucla Norseman and Kalgoorlie to Perth. It was quite some time delay in Perth before our first job in Port Headland, so I took 6 weeks leave and built a 14foot caravan. I had it all completed externally and on the road during that time.

Having completed all works in Western Australia during October 1955 we then returned to the Northern Territory to complete two more jobs there. With the caravan in tow over all dirt road and cattle tracks in places from Geraldton and the West coast to the Stuart Highway in the Northern Territory. It was somewhat of a nightmare journey as the Monsoons had started, and we got hopelessly stuck at a creek. Luckly it wasn’t long when two long wheel-based Land Rovers were there with Cattle inspectors aboard. They are out in that county all year round. With much generosity they towed the caravan the last 100 miles to the Stuart Highway Northern Territory.

On completion of the Darwin and Katherine jobs 3 years had passed and return to my home base Melbourne in June 1956. During the Autum of 1960 when all the Antarctic positions were advertised, I applied for a Diesel Mechanics position and was accepted to Macquarie Island party for year 1961. I successfully completed two more expeditions to Mawson as senior diesel mechanic during 1963 and 1965. Duties at the station - maintain and operate in continued operations, diesel electronic generating sets to 60KVA Capacity maintain repair and operate all mobilised equipment such as wheeled and Tracked type traction sledges, caravans, field and associated equipment, participated in the schedule field programmes for up to three monthly durations. Experienced temperatures down to -46°F. During October of 1970 I was awarded the polar medal from the Queen at Government House Melbourne for all services carried out at the stations. I returned to the department of Civil Aviation Melbourne during June 1966 as a senior diesel mechanic based at the regional workshop Essendon. I was again involved with the regional maintenance throughout the Vic-Tas region.

During 1967 I applied for a position with the Department of Defence army as a technical officer Grade 1, supply documentation centre, Albert Park Melbourne. I was accepted to that position and commenced duties during October 1967. Duties were as follows prepare RAEME draught repair parts manuals for motor vehicles ranging between half ton and 35/60-ton capacity. Write the text for each assembly and assess the maintenance rates for all repair parts with regards to the level of RAEME repair policy and stocking levels applicable to each depot on unit holding repair parts prepare illustrated plates for each assembly.

I retired from the Department of Defence during February of 1987 and following my 35 years away in Australia I sold my property in Melbourne and returned to Norfolk Island. There was much toil awaiting me here as nothing had been done to my property in all the 35 years I was away. At this time of my life, I had worked in Victoria Tasmania WA NT and Antarctica.

To supplement my finances for the refurbishment of my property which was in a sad state, I firstly started a market garden suppling the hotels and restaurants on a weekly service for a period of 19 years. At the same period of time with the expectation of the Uniting Church manse which had recently been built prior to my return to Norfolk Island the remainder of the church property and buildings was in a bad state of neglect. I had to get Tom Greening with bulldozer to remove huge trees and bushes which existed right up to the back fence of the manse. Constant work and maintenance took place from early 1990’s through to the last 2017. Following all that had been done much pleasure and satisfaction to the view the whole property now, and may I thank the good Lord for health in doing it all.

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The Edward Family would like to sincerely thank to all Yorlye for love, kindness, care, and support, as well as the incredible generosity shown by the Norfolk Island community.

Your thoughtfulness during this time has meant the world to us, and we are deeply grateful. Thanks f’ all uklun

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