David Gillespie (Lyne, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I take this opportunity to pay tribute to Dungog local and World War II veteran Trevor Brooker, who passed away on 7 July aged 100 years. Trevor was born on 5 December 1923 on a cattle station north of Singleton. When war broke out Trevor was only 16 years old but managed to get away from school, Maitland Boys High School, and enrol. His decision to drop out of school and enlist in the Australian military was character-forming. He saw conflict in Papua New Guinea and was involved in the famous Battle of Shaggy Ridge. He got quite sick during the campaign with scrub typhus but he managed to survive, even though there is an astounding death rate when you catch this disease in the tropics. He was sent home in late 1944.

In 1948 he met and married his wife, Edna, after they met at a dance at Maitland Town Hall. In 1949 they moved into a house he built himself in Rutherford. He worked as a bricklayer as well as milking cows each morning and each night. In 1980 Trevor retired and moved with Edna to Dungog, where he became a stalwart and very active in the Dungog RSL club and subbranch. Only five years ago they both celebrated 70 years of marriage. Trevor's passing marks the death of Dungog's last World War II veteran. (Time expired)