Every senior has a wonderful story to tell. We had a lovely chat with three residents of the community in Townsville who shared interesting stories from their life.
BARBARA BRICKER
Soon after her family arrived in Townsville in the 1960s, Barbara Bricker found herself volunteering at the local Police Citizens Youth Club (PCYC).
“My husband was always working long hours at The Mater Hospital and my girls were doing athletics and gymnastics at the PCYC, so I would fill my time by volunteering there,” Barbara said.
“I used to go and help them in the office because they couldn’t keep people there. They kept wanting to employ me but I kept saying, ‘I haven’t got a resume’.
“They talked me into applying, and I finished up after 25 years there. I made good friends who I worked with, and we had a good time.
“I used to do the functions including weddings. I loved that. If we had a function we did the hard work -pull all the tables down, clean up – then sit down with our feet up and have a glass of wine at two o’clock in the morning.”
In recognition of her service to the organisation, she was awarded life membership of PCYC Townsville and had a section of the facility – the Barbara Bricker Function Room – named after her.
“I was both proud and shocked because I’m not one who likes to be out front; I like to stay in the background. I gave 100% – and I loved every bit of it,” Barbara said.
Barbara, who has 13 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren, also volunteered for community organisations such as Meals on Wheels.
PAMELA HOOPER
“If you’re kind to people you will have a friend for life.”
It’s a motto that served Pamela Hooper well during her career working in the same pharmacy in Flinders Street in Townsville for more than 50 years.
She started working in the pharmacy when she was around 18 years old.
“I was visiting my sister-in-law who as working at a hotel doing bar work. She said to get myself down to the pharmacy and ask for work. I went there and asked, and that was it.”
Some of Pamela’s former customers live with her at .
“Primo, who lives here, I have known him and his wife since we were 20, because they used to deal with the pharmacy,” Pamela said.
“They were living outside Ayr so often I would put their items on the rail and they would pick it up, to save them having to come into town. There wasn’t a lot of pharmacies then.
“All my daughter wanted to do was work at a pharmacy like me. My boss was so lovely. I couldn’t have liked a person I had to work for more.”
Coming from a family of 10 children who grew up in Townsville, Pamela loved playing sports including volleyball, hockey and basketball.
ARTHUR WILLETTS
Rock music is often heard coming from the room of Carinity Fairfield Grange aged care resident, Arthur Willetts.
When he was younger, Arthur loved hanging out in Sydney record stores and attending concerts. He has an almost encyclopaedic knowledge of classic rock music.
His favourite artists range from Cream, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Kinks and Warren Zevon, to Frank Zappa, Metallica, Rammstein, Chopin and Pavarotti.
“Me and my mate used to go to all the concerts. We saw Duke Ellington in Kings Cross, in a rock ‘n’ roll venue where the stage would revolve,” Arthur said.
“I saw Rolling Stones, Status Quo, 10CC, Jethro Tull – I saw them eight times. I would go to shows any time a band came out.”
Arthur is such a huge music fan that when he was downsizing in preparation for his move to Townsville, he sold $6,500 worth of his vinyl records.
Growing up in Punchbowl, Arthur used to catch the train to Belmore to attend Canterbury Bulldogs rugby league games. He also supports the Western Sydney Wanderers soccer team – and has a tattoo of the club logo to prove it.
Arthur, who fixed elevators and escalators for a living, says having Dawn Fraser present him an award for playing soccer was “one of the great pleasures of my life”.
As well as listening to rock music and going to concerts, Arthur enjoyed riding motorcycles including Harley Davidsons.
