General News
10 December, 2025
Stories from a Wimmera farmboy
This first-time author says his memories and reflections may differ slightly from how others remember certain incidents, but the essence of the book is how life was lived fifty years ago by his family and those around him.
Moving around from property to property in the Wimmera during tough times meant he saw a lot of life on the land and knew he didn't want to be a farmer, so what would a young lad who liked to make stuff do?
“I made a crystal set at school," he said.
"I liked to make things, so after school I entered Technical College to study a certificate course, and I suppose that set me on the path to my own business and the hobbies I have today."
He is also a storyteller, perhaps inherited from his mother, who he describes as a beautiful woman.
“Mum and Dad were opposites,” he said.
“Dad was tough; he was a man of action, but he was kind in his own way.”
He recalled clearly one night when the boys were going spot lighting, they said they were going after reindeer.
“Well, that upset my little sisters, and they were crying because they thought Santa would not be able to visit at Christmas if the reindeer were shot.
“As tough as Dad was, he got on the phone and ‘rang Santa’ to make sure he was safe, and he told him to avoid the very tall radio tower at Dooen when he visited the Wimmera because if they hit that there’d be reindeer guts all over the Wimmera,” he said.
“Mum was standing at the sink rolling her eyes.”
However, when his father finished speaking with Santa, he assured the little girls that he and his reindeer were safe, and that all was well in the Dean household again.
and tell of times that were different, playing in the creeks, walking through the bush, and making your own fun, which didn’t include swearing or the belt would remind you to never do that again.
Being a storyteller is evident; he is now a published author, but it was this skill that often got him out of trouble.
One such time, as a teen, he was caught speeding on a late-night motorbike ride and ended up in court, but a chance comment piqued the judge's interest, and the rest is history.
has been in the pipeline for the past decade, and, as with all things he does, he wanted to be the creator once again.
“I took a class in writing and learnt how to use Adobe so I could write the manuscript and use the publishing program to prepare it for printing,” he said.
“However, I did have a wonderful proofreader, Emily, and I’ll always be grateful to her; she was the real brains behind the project.”
He is a great believer in using life’s experiences.
It is perhaps this storytelling skill, or a natural confidence, that has been an important part of his business success, although to design a product and have the ability to manufacture it took the skill and knowledge that partly came from his education, but perhaps even more importantly, the keen interest and ability he always had to make ‘stuff.’
He has owned and operated Versatile Technology since 1990, employs 45 staff, and has travelled the world meeting clients and installing the world’s first and only automatic beverage enamel rater, among other related machinery.
Mr Dean is married with three adult children working in medicine, law, and finance.
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