Hi Graeme, you grew up in Newstead, can you tell us what that was like?
I was born in Castlemaine in 1954 – my mum used to work in the butter factory. Actually, that’s where my mum and dad met. Mum was a cream tester and Dad was a truck driver and mechanic.
Newstead is a lovely little town. I had a great childhood, rabbiting and fishing down at the river and I used to play tennis for Newstead. It’s still a good little town although it’s changed a lot.
It sounds idyllic. What sort of work have you done?
I started working at the National Bank when I was 18. I was there for 12 months and went from there to Melbourne for 15 years before moving to the Building Society in Bendigo (which is now the Bendigo Bank) where I worked as a loans officer.
Then Mum got sick with Crohn’s and I cared for her for 12 years. After Mum died I started looking after a friend’s son who has Down Syndrome and Autism and I ended up getting a job with the Shire. I was the first male carer in the Shire. I worked there for 20 years. I still have three NDIS clients – one I’ve been with for 18 years. It’s good. I love it.
You’re known to many as the ‘Chicken Man’- can you tell us how that came about?
I’ve loved chooks since I was nine years old. My mentor was Jack McPherson who gave me a trio of Australorps. I used to show chooks for a long time, until I was 21 and went to Melbourne to work. Dear old mum, she used to wash them for me. We’d have the lounge fire going with a box of chooks in there drying. In those days that’s what you did. It was a lot of hard work.
I’ve been going to farmers’ markets with Bill Wouda for the past 18 years. We do seven a month. I used to have around 600 chickens but now I only have around 40 because the cost of feed is too high.
You have a family member who is honoured by one of the trees at Honour Avenue in Newstead. Who was that?
Nana’s brother was only 17 when he went to war (he put his age up) his name was Bert Nicholas Martin. My sister Lynette and I found a package when our parent’s house burnt down and in it was a Bronze Medallion and a letter sent to our great-great grandmother from King George saying Bert had died.
What sort of music do you listen to?
The Seekers, the Beatles and I like country and western.
You’ve had a few overseas trips. Where did you go?
My sister and my two nephews shouted me a trip for my 50th birthday and we travelled to England, Scotland, and France all over. I went to Thailand for one of my nephew’s weddings, and to Spain for the other nephew’s wedding.
Who are your three dream dinner guests?
Elvis, John Farnham, and Johnny Cash.
What philosophies do you live life by?
Don’t worry about things – just get on with it. Life is what you make it.
Finally, what do you love most about the place you call home?
It’s a great little town. People are friendly, although there are not a lot of locals left.