Jack was born and bred in Castlemaine. He started out living in Gingell Street and he used to walk to the North School every day via the Crinoline Bridge – a pedestrian bridge that used to connect one side of the railway line to the other.
After a while, his family moved from Gingell Street to Barkers Creek, and Jack and his three brothers moved to the Barkers Creek School.
He left tech school at the age of 14 and spent 12 months quarrying slate rock at Golden Point.
At 15, he went to work at the Woollen Mill, where he stayed until he was 21.
Jack met his wife, Margaret, while working in the same room at the Woollen Mill.
“She was a little bit older than me. I got to know her a little bit, and we’d go to the Saturday night dances in the town. We knocked around for five years before we got married.”
An avid bike rider, Jack used to do 200-250 km a week. Seeing him riding out to Harcourt and back through Elphinstone was a regular sight for locals.
“Then the traffic got too much. I still go out when the weather’s right, but otherwise I ride on this one (an indoor stationary bike).
“When I was racing for the Chewton Amateur Cycling Club, some Sundays we’d go to Daylesford, Ballan, Greendale, Blackwood Ranges, across to Trentham and Kyneton.
“I remember going to Macedon and back over Mount Macedon, that’s going back before I was in the army.”
When he retired from work, he bought a mountain bike. After a bingle with a car, the avid rider took the insurance money and upgraded. He went on to buy Peter Sagan’s anniversary bike from his ride in the Tour de France.
“I raced from Melbourne to Castlemaine a couple of times, years ago. That was on the old highway coming through Woodend, Taradale, Malmsbury.”
At 18, Jack was called up to the National Service.
“I was a bit surprised because I had three brothers and I was the only one! It was the only raffle I ever won,” Jack laughed.
“It was the second-last intake. I was lucky because at the start it was over three years, and I only had to do three months. Half of that was at Puckapunyal, marching and weapons and the other half was done in Broadmeadows in the workshops.”
When the Woollen Mill started to have difficulties and was only offering a few days’ work a week, Jack decided to move on and started working for the Metcalfe Shire, where he worked as a labourer and later as a grader operator.
He stayed at the council for 20 years before getting a job at Leech Earthmoving, where he worked for 17 years.
“I could have stopped there, but just mucking about doing this and that, it’s not me, so I went to the mob up on Big Hill, Andy’s Earthmovers,” he said.
Work was a big part of Jack’s life. He particularly loved working in the bulldozers and even got to ride in the “biggest one they ever made”.
In 1968, Jack joined the Chewton Football Club. He played until 1977, when he dislocated his elbow.
“It never went back right, and I couldn’t play anymore.”
The tall back pocket loved the game and was awarded trophies for Most Reliable and Best Attendance at Training.
“Over the summer, I’d go jogging two or three times a week up the track beside the railway line, out past the Harcourt wreckers, and back. Getting close to the start of the training, myself, Bobby Cole, Neil Zach Campbell, we’d go jogging, up past the Baco, up past the pony club and back. Getting a bit closer, Harold Danasey joins, and we’d go to the gardens, kicking the footy around. By the time we started training, we were pretty fit!”
Jack took on the club president job for many years, and “sick of getting flogged every week,” Jack and the secretary, Steve, decided to spend some money recruiting new players. The move paid off, and the team played an undefeated season and took home the ’75 Premier League win.
“I remember, we rode up the main street and back on Ray Maltby’s truck. Then went to the pub. That was a good year.”
Jack’s wife Margaret was a member of the ladies’ committee who were responsible for running the kiosk. Both Jack and Margaret were very active club members and were both awarded life memberships.
To commemorate the victory 51 years later, previous club members will meet this Saturday for a celebration and a chance to remember their glory days (see below for details).
And the all-important questions:
What hobbies do you have? Going out in the bush and cutting wood, and I like camping, and fishing. Oh, and cycling, of course.
What are your philosophies in life? Family is the most important thing.
Who are your three dream dinner guests? Cadel Evans, Andy Hawk, the earthmoving bloke I worked with, he was good to me. And probably Eddie Sharman, our coach from ’75.
Finally, what do you love most about the place you call home? I’ve never moved away from here. Most of my family’s here. My big brother’s in Geelong, one below me, is in Bendigo, and the youngest brother is here – we get around a lot together.
The club are inviting Life Members, Past Committee Members, Players and Supporters along to the celebrations which will kick off at 12.30pm at Campbells Creek Recreation Reserve this Saturday July 11.
The club disbanded after the 1990 season but have continued to hold premiership reunions every ten years, following their 1986 Senior and Reserves premiership wins in the Maryborough Castlemaine District Football League.
This reunion will include the 1986 Senior & Reserves, the Under 19 Reserve and the 1975 Senior Premiership wins.
