John Williams (NSW, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise tonight to present my first adjournment speech to this parliament and to talk about a friend who passed away last week—Cecil Angus ‘Mick’ Boston, aged 87. Mick was born in Naracoorte in 1921, the son of dairy farmers Alan and Alice and brother to Thomas and Roma. He adopted the name ‘Mick’ while attending high school because he felt that Cecil was far too sissy for a boy. Mick was one of those types back in that generation who were brought up to work hard during tough times, but who appreciated life. During the Depression in the 1930s, the kids would get out of bed early to take the dairy cows out to the rented paddocks, delivering fresh milk along the way, and in the afternoon take them back in for milking.

Mick Boston loved his cycling and took part in four South Australian championships and twice started in the legendary Melbourne to Warrnambool race. Mick’s first job after school was with the South Australian Railways, and that is where he came across a wonderful young lady in Elma Alice Lewis, who was working in the refreshments rooms at Wolseley Station. They were married in 1945. They moved to Adelaide while still with the railways and Mick studied to get a diploma in automotive engineering. He ended up working with Maughan Thiem Motors in Adelaide. He became a brilliant mechanic—in fact, he was the only mechanic allowed to work on the boss’s car. About this time his first sons, Richard and Deane, were born, but unfortunately a third son, Trevor, only lived for a few months. Mick became manager of the bus service between Jamestown and Riverton, and the family moved to Jamestown, the very community where I was privileged to grow up. His daughter, June, was born in 1955 and his other son, Greg, or as we know him, ‘Lofty’, came along in 1957.

Mick was a bit of revhead, and he built and drove his own speed car. He was also a brilliant engineer, and in 1956 he designed and constructed the largest bus in the Southern Hemisphere—44 feet long and seating 54 passengers. He got the chassis of a Mack truck and another chassis of an Albion truck and joined them together to construct this big bus. I recall a night when I was sitting in the Jamestown hall having a beer with Mick during one of the local cabarets. He was telling me how he went down to a hardware shop in Adelaide to buy the rivets for this bus. He took a sample and he said to the chap behind the counter, ‘Do you have any of these rivets?’ The young fellow said: ‘Yeah, we’ve got some of them, sir. How many would you like?’ Mick said, ‘I’d like 31,000.’ The young fellow said, ‘Thirty one thousand; what are you doing?’ Mick said, ‘I’ve got to make a bus. I’ll have to hold it together somehow!’ This was Mick Boston, the engineer and the designer. He sold the bus company and started Boston Motor Repairs in 1962 in Jamestown. It was in 1964 that he lost his great partner, Elma, and Mick went on to run his business and rear his children. His son Deane joined his mechanic shop soon after. I remember being at school one day when the teacher said, ‘Boston, for all the good it does you being at school, you might as well not be here.’ The next day he was not at school; he was in the mechanic shop pulling spanners, under the stern guidance and direction of his father, Mick. I can say that Deane went on to become, I would say, one of the best mechanics this nation has ever seen.

In 1967 Mick took on the Ford franchise in Jamestown. To this very day his elder son, Richard, still runs Boston Ford. Mick worked hard. I remember the time he had a crook back, I think because a car dropped on him from a tow truck when something went wrong. Mick would walk around the shop like a half opened pocket knife with this terrible back, but he would never stop. He was always there to do his job and to help people. In 1968 he married Rosemary Koop, who was to be his partner for the rest of his life, and he inherited two lovely stepdaughters in Colleen and Nina. Nick was very involved in the Freemasons and was master of the Victoria Lodge in 1974 and later had more honours awarded to him.

Mick was a great contributor to the Jamestown community and got involved in local government. He became deputy mayor of Jamestown and then mayor for 15 years to lead up the Jamestown Council. He was Australia Day Citizen of the Year for the Northern Areas Council in 1999 and the same year was awarded an OAM. I think that that says a lot about him. During his funeral the other day there was a cartoon of him that was typical Mick. Mr President, you would recall the old hand pumps above the underground wells, or perhaps you are not old enough. You would use the hand pumps to pump the water out. In the cartoon, Mick was holding one of these pumps above the bonnet of a car. The car had done its water pump and Mick was saying, ‘Well, it’s not the right type of pump, but I’m sure I can make it fit.’ This was typical of him; he was a talented man. As I said, he was a brilliant mechanic and a brilliant engineer. There was not much that he could not do. I think Len Jones, one of the local identities, said it all at his funeral the other day. He said:

… locomotive fireman, motor mechanic, coach builder, engineer, businessman extraordinaire, Mayor, Master Mason and town identity. Known by all, and loved by those who knew him best. I think the only reason he left us was that there was little left for him to achieve. Mick, your lamp may be out but your light shines on …

As I said, Mick was a talented man, and a man I can proudly say built a better community in the town of Jamestown where he lived. I give my best regards and condolences to his family.