Dad was in the citizen light horse between the wars, so it was strange he went into the air force when WW11 started. He was a great horseman, & taught me to ride & shoot from foot or horse. He could quieten the wildest horse, but not was much with cars. even in my teens it was me who had to make sure the car brakes & suspension worked properly.

He could build a billy cart, cubby house or full sized house, & taught me much helping, but I had to do the decoke on the car. He taught me to sail, grow stuff, & how to look after live stock, & lost of stuff we don't realise is important, until we see others who were never taught.

When he died suddenly he left mum, who didn't drive, in a beautiful but isolated spot on Lake Macquarie. I was so busy getting the house sold, a granny flat built on my property, & getting her moved & settled, I didn't have much time to miss him.

When mum died 18 years later I suddenly missed him very much, & do so more every day. When I have a problem I often wonder, "what would dad do"? It always helps.

Dear Hassie,

Thank You for sharing your dad's story. He sounds
like a wonderful man. I grew up with horses. And
can understand your father's love of them. Looking
after your mother was a wonderful time for you to do.
And she must have been very happy to know she was so loved.
Take care.

There are many fathers that need to be remembered.
Not only our own, but those in the front-lines, that
have given up their lives for the people of this
nation. From policemen who put their lives at risk on
a daily basis, to soldiers fighting in wars, to firemen,
keeping us safe, and many, many more.

Let us remember them, and their families, and count our
blessings. That's why I gave the poem at the beginning
of this discussion. We have so much to be thankful for
in this country. We all come together in times of
difficulty and stress - to help a mate. That's the
Australian way.

My father grew up in Singapore and fled as a youngster on one of the last boats out before the fall to the Japanese. His father and grandfather were taken prisoner and while his father survived his grandfather died.

My dad paid his own way through Uni and went on to found a large company before dying at 58. As he worked hard, I didn't get to see him much but knew that I could rely on him for no BS advice as he was an expert at framing an issue and defining the alternatives. He didn't tell me what I wanted to know but what I needed to know.

Dear Shadow Miinister,

Your father gave you the greatest gift anyone could
give to another person. He believed in you.
Thank You for sharing your story with us.

Dear Paul, Hassie, and Shadow Minister,

It looks like this topic is not going to get
any further responses - which is a bit disappointing.
However Thanks to you all for taking the time and
making the effort to contribute. It just goes to show
that everyone does have a story to tell - and I was
hoping to hear some more wonderful stories that would lift
all of our spirits. In any case - Thank You once again.
Your efforts were greatly appreciated.

Take care.
Stay safe.