Family
I grew up at Richmond with mum Madeleine, dad Percy, brothers Gavin and Nigel, sister Diana and extended family across the south east: the Shaw family at Richmond, the Grice family originally of Tea Tree and Richmond and the Long family of Sorell, Forcett and Dunalley.
Colin and I met in 1982 through mutual friends when he was a cartographer with the Lands Department and singer in a band. My first full time job was as registration clerk with Piggott Wood & Baker, then in 1983 I joined the ATO and worked as a tax assessor, in staff development, graduate recruitment, public education and marketing. We married in 1987.
We moved to Dodges Ferry in 1992 where we commuted to work in Hobart and my national roles with the ATO communications team took me around the country. In the mid 1990s Colin became a programmer with the first computer based mapping team in Tasmania and created Tasmania’s first ever website (closely followed by the second, his Jimi Hendrix fan site), then worked on leading-edge computer modelling for Parks & Wildlife and the Regional Forest Agreement.
Our sons, Ethan and Xavier, enjoyed Little Possums (thank you Niki and Tony!), the wonderful Dodges Ferry Primary School, junior soccer, scouting and Nippers at Carlton Park Surf Life Saving Club. Ethan studied at The Hedberg and is now in his dream job; Xavier is at college and enjoying state-level volleyball.
By the mid 2000s our work had changed so Colin and I eventually moved on from our public service roles and worked for ourselves - me in writing and editing plus company director and volunteer roles, Colin as a guitar teacher and rock band tutor at Dodges Ferry Primary School. For several years we also worked together as nrico geospatial geographical information systems and later as Dodges Ferry Online, designing and publishing websites for local small businesses and community organisations. We continue to enjoy music, movies, our amazing local environment, intriguing history and a variety of volunteer roles, including Bendigo Bank Community Bank Sorell, Okines Community House, South East United Football Club and Dodges Ferry Primary School Association.
My mum Madeleine was born at the Bush Hospital at Sorell, and grew up at Richmond - her early years at The Commercial Hotel (now The Richmond Arms) where her parents Ted and Phyllis ran the pub, then built their home opposite the Richmond Memorial Oval where Ted became a 650-game life member of Richmond Football Club. Phyllis was an expert cook and seamstress who volunteered with the CWA, CWL and Red Cross and I have many fond memories of learning by her side, harvesting from her garden, favourite recipes and fabulous treats, always something delicious in the tin for visitors. Mum trained as a nurse at Calvary Hospital, then from the 1970s to 2002 nursed at Richmond with Dr Fergus Mitchell and then at Sorell with Dr Mike Windsor at what is now the Sorell Family Practice.
My dad Percy grew up in a large family at Richmond, roaming the hills hunting rabbits and roo, fishing along the Coal River, playing football and cricket with the local teams. His dad Arthur was a shearer who died tragically in an accident in 1946, leaving wife Bessie with eight children at home, the youngest just a baby. Dad learned his trade from age 15 as an electrician for RH Latham, working on many of Hobart’s landmark buildings, and later retrained as a scaffolder for Hansen & Yunken. Mum and Dad have made great memories over the years, especially playing and enjoying sport - football, cricket, badminton, tennis, lawn bowls and golf - at Richmond, Sorell and at country halls, sports ovals and golf courses all over the south east.
Mum’s great great grandparents Robert and Ann Grice had established Langtoft farm at Tea Tree - named for Robert’s village in Yorkshire - and their grandson Robert and his wife Alice farmed Carrington in the Coal River Valley, raised a large family, later ran a butchery. Robert served as Warden of Richmond for 22 years between the wars and lobbied for the building of the Gatty Dam below the Richmond Bridge.
PROMINENT RICHMOND CITIZEN’S FUNERAL
The Mercury, Thu 2 June 1949, p20 (Trove)
The funeral of Mr. Robert Spurway Grice, prominent Richmond farmer, took place in the St. John’s Catholic cemetery at Richmond on Tuesday. He was aged 78 years.
…Mr. Grice was one of the most prominent citizens of Richmond from 1918 onwards. He was noted for his generosity, philanthropy, and interest in civic affairs. He was appointed to the Richmond Council in 1918, and retired because of ill-health in 1938. He became warden in 1921, and held this post continuously until 1938.
He was a coroner for the State and justice of the peace, but resigned in 1938.
He was treasurer of the Richmond Municipality prior to 1921, and while in this position would not accept any salary. One of his greatest battles was the attempt to get an adequate water supply for Richmond, but because of local apathy, he did not succeed.
Dad’s great great grandfather, Daniel Long, was transported from England in 1817, soon became a constable, farmer, whaler and ran one of the early pubs in Sorell, the Plough & Harrow, on the corner of Gordon and Cole Streets.
In 1861 his son Daniel established Woodvine farm at Forcett where he and wife Elizabeth raised a large family. To protect both natural and cultural values, Woodvine is now a Nature Reserve, gifted to Parks & Wildlife Tasmania in 1998 by Daniel and Elizabeth’s great grandson, Ernie Shaw, who was the last person to live there.
Many thanks to director Dr Pauline Marsh, cinematographer Joe Shemesh and my cousin Linda Forbes for the wonderful experience filming Pauline’s short documentary ‘Woodvine – a gift’ made in 2016.