General News
22 July, 2025
Tony Naylor shares life story with Probus
The regular meeting of the Combined Probus Club of Hopetoun was held on Monday, July 7, in Beulah at 10.30 am with a luncheon following.
President Alan Malcolm welcomed 17 members, 1 guest, and noted 7 apologies. Member Lisa Wilson read the Probus prayer.
Entertainment Officer Gwen Malcolm introduced member Tony Naylor to speak about his life’s story.
Tony was very interesting with lots of laughs, along with the saddest things he had seen during Ash Wednesday 16.2.1983.
The wonderful trips he has had with his beloved Brenda and family. And nearly 30 trucks with 35 years as a cartage contractor at the same time as running the farm and harvest contracting too. Back to the beginning now!!
Tony was born in Hopetoun in 1941 with one sibling five years younger. How lucky for Tony the schoolteacher Jean Hobson was boarding with his family so he would get a lift to school at Rosebery East.
The school closed so he boarded in Beulah with his Aunt Mary and Uncle Biggy Naylor, doing chores for them as they would not accept money from his parents.
Tony stayed there 5 days a week and went home on the weekends.
Did we get a good laugh with not milking the 20 cows, but how himself and his cousin would use a billy cart and a Cream Can and walk around town to deliver the milk.
All the locals would hang their billies on the fence, leaving the money for them to collect.
Every morning before school they would return the cows across the creek to the paddock and bring them back in the evening.
Sav’s galore at the footy, his Uncle Biggy ran the stall.
Tony and his offsider cousin Vicky would take the billy cart to meet the train and pick up the saveloy’s every Friday evening; on Saturday’s he would light up the copper at the football to cook the savs.
The following year Tony travelled in 4 cars to the Hopetoun Primary School.
After a bad accident, the next year they got a bus.
Tony then went to the Convent in Hopetoun.
Tony attended Monivae College, Hamilton where he boarded until just after the age of 15; when his family was contacted it was heavily suggested that school wasn’t the place for Tony, he went home to work on the family farm.
After 6 months on the farm Tony was sent to help his aunt on her farm as his Uncle Pat had suddenly died.
He stuck it out until his grandmother passed away; Tony and his aunt returned to the family farm.
Tony has fond memories of the 2 Indian gentleman Charlie and Shannon who were picking up stumps, as the land had not been fully cleared.
Tony loved their stories at their camp in the evening and their Johny cakes (Indian flat bread).
Tony’s father had racehorses and would grow oats for hay; they owned a binder to make the sheaves; then they would stook it (12 sheaves to a stook). After 2 weeks they would load the sheaves (600 to a load) all by pitchfork to take to the chaffcutter.
One racehorse Christoni was entered in Australian Cup but broke a bone 2 days before. Christoni lived his days out on the farm.
After Tony’s father passed away, he sold all the racehorses and has never been back to the races since.
At the age of 24 he met the love of his life Brenda, who are in their 60th year of marriage; 4 children, 12 grandchildren, and 3 great grandchildren. Notably Brenda and Tony married 2 days after Decimal currency started in 1966.
Tony’s first tractor was an Allis Chalmers with a 12-foot scarifier and also had 10-foot discs.
The next tractor was an International WD9 and his first ‘new’ tractor was a Hanomag.
Tony became a cartage contractor and has had over 30 trucks carting livestock to markets, grain locally, Bunker to silo and from Millicent to Derrinallum during the Ash Wednesdays fires; Tony has and will always be affected by this as the fire chased him all the way from Millicent and even on his way home to his family in the Mallee.
Upon return to where he used to stay the devastation of seeing cattle with no hooves and then to find out his friend had lost 2 of his children and his brother and just the sheer magnitude of the devastated land and farmers lively hoods.
Tony has given service to the Rosebery Fire Brigade for 65 years and 52 years in the Lions Club, last 7 as President.
President Alan Malcolm expressed his appreciation for Tony sharing his life’s story and presented Tony with a Probus pen.
The next meeting of the Combined Probus Club of Hopetoun will be a luncheon meeting on August 4, 2025 at 10:30 am at the Hopetoun Southern Mallee Parish Hall.