I’d like to tell a few stories of Geoff shared with me by those closest to him. Hopefully, we can all add our own memories as we seek to honour him today.

Geoffrey Warren Barton was born in Yallourn in 1940, a world away from today. Much loved, first child of Ford and Joyce, the family moved a number of times in his early years — finally settling in Brunswick. Geoff was quiet, accommodating, able to adapt to change.

I want to tell of sex education. Lois’s birth, combined with school discussion obviously raised significant questions. One day Geoff and Mum were passing by a heavily pregnant bitch. He asked, "Do dogs have puppies inside them?" "Yes". A long pause. "Do cats have kittens inside them?" "Yes". A longer pause. "And mothers?" "Yes". No more was said. Later, Geoff was aware mum was expecting me. He said (of Lois), "Don’t tell her mum, she’ll drive us mad!"

When Joyce was near to having me, Lois said, "Mummy, don’t go up there (to the hospital) when they’ve got boys, go up when there’s only girls". All Geoff said was, "Tell her, Mum!" Then, when I was old enough to get interested in such matters, we were all watching TV at home. It was a show about farm animals. I said "What kind of cow is that?" Geoff said, "It’s not a cow, it’s a bull". "No it’s not. Look at that thing between its back legs!" Geoff, and his girlfriend Marge, decided it was time to take me to the Agricultural Show! On their return, Marge said, "Well, he knows about it now!"

The family moved to Canterbury. As a teenager, Geoff got a couple of jobs — delivering papers, as a bowser boy at the petrol station. He earned quite a lot of pocket money. Years later, Dad was pulling out a fireplace in Geoff’s old room. He found bags and bags of Geoff’s lunches — he’d stuffed them in there in the mornings, and gone to school and bought his lunch! They were found under the house - all over the place. What got Mum upset was, "He just let me cut his lunch every day, and never once said anything about it!"

"After school, Geoff went to work with the PMG (Post Master’s General Department now called Telecom) — as a technician, not as an apprentice!

He played football with Highfield Road Methodists in Winter, and was a lifesaver at Portsea over the Summer. He crewed in their rowboat — they had a plaque put where Sabrina had sat in it! (I loved it when the boat, or lifelines, were stored at home — it was exciting to pretend being a lifesaver like Geoff). He also was a scout with 19^th Camberwell — achieving the Queen’s Scout badge (the highest award).

Geoff was a little shy when it came to girls. His mates included Richard Wright and David Parker. One evening, when the three of them were going to the drive-in together (without any girls), Dad said, "I wipe my hands of them". When Geoff’s cousin Helen got married, Geoff asked her if she could put him next to "a good chick". And so he met Marge.

She was wonderful, she brightened up a room when she came. I can clearly remember being enraptured by her. She and Geoff were opposites. He was so quiet and shy, she was bubbly and vivacious! — they complemented each other so well. They always have a great sense of fun together. It’s been a central component of their relationship. Geoff was not enjoying the routine and confines of the PMG. He shared his dream of going on the land with Marge. Being a dairy farmer’s daughter, she encouraged him.

In 1963 Geoff went to work as a dairy hand with Ian and Linda Watson, of Leongatha North. He loved the country life. He played football for Leongatha — was captain (I think, Captain-coach) of their Reserves. He couldn’t play for the firsts — he had to get home for the milking (or so he said). I personally remember the best ever holiday of my childhood being the week I spent with Geoff at the Watsons’ farm.

Marge and Geoff were married on 1^st May, 1965 at Cranbourne Presbyterian Church. They lived at Strezlecki, on George and Beryl Seabrooke’s property, where Geoff was share-farming. Mandy was born there. We were all so proud!

In 1969 they moved to Poowong, where they leased "Myrambeek", just up the road from here, on the edge of town. The boys were born, and they stayed 10 years, until they purchased "Mandally" from Gwen and Tiny Hancock, on Solders Road, Poowong South. That’s been home ever since — now fully paid for. I think it’s a great achievement to build up to fully owning your own farm.

Geoff has always been a person of phases when it comes to hobbies! As a boy it was football, scouts, life-saving, basketball…! Later it was sailing, golf, the pony club, the sports centre, the hall committee, "Aussie Masters" swimming, the BMW Car Club, and motorcycles!

He took to sailing with a passion. He bought an OK Dinghy — he called it "PJ" because Peter gave 20c for the price! He was good at sailing — as he was good at most (all?) things he took up. He represented Victoria at the Australian Championships in Queensland.

When Korrumburra dentist, Rodney Delbridge, entered his yacht for the Sydney Hobart race, Geoff was in the crew. It was a bad year, many yachts pulled out. Dr Loppin broke a rib and spent most of the trip in his bunk leaving Geoff and the others to fight the waves. They made it, the smallest boat to finish (Nick says, "the slowest boat to finish!").

Geoff moved on. He took up scout mastering. Leading the same group of boys through the Poowong Club, Scouts, then Venturers. Geoff used to take the boys out in his car. Marge only found out the other day that the boys, including Russell Follett, Peter Miller and the Suckling brothers, played tricks. While Geoff went into the general store to "just buy something" (he was still smoking then), the boys would pull out the choke and pump the accelerator. When Geoff got back in, it wouldn’t start. He got really mad with the car.

This group built fibreglass canoes. They went on to begin the infamous "South Gippsland Canoe Club". They used to run the Poowong Mad Hatters Balls, getting Melbourne acts like "the Black Sorrows", Debra Conway, and members of "Men at Work" to play at the Hall!.

As his children grew up he was involved with all their activities. There was the pony club. He was on the Committee at the golf club (where Nick is now the greenkeeper). He was on the Hall Committee. At the hall dances he would act as bouncer, along with John Jeffries. John was the knot man in the local tug-of-war team. If it looked like Geoff might be getting out of his depth — John would come over and say, "Having trouble Geoff, want some help?"

He was very involved with the Sports Centre. In fact he and Marge actually managed it for a time, along with Lyn and Des Rogers. Geoff loved to coach basketball teams. Although he was generally quiet, he would sometimes explode while coaching. Nick tells how they would be playing, something would go wrong. Geoff would leap from the side, start to yell out a stream of instructions that no one could understand. They would all look at each other and just keep playing. Geoff would just sit down.

He was a wonderful father, he and Marge have raised three lovely children. Peter says he was always positive with them. He would say, "Just do your best."

He was very supportive and welcoming of their partners, although Chris tells the story of when he wanted to ask for Mandy’s "hand in marriage". Marge was out, they were watching television. It was getting late. Geoff got up to go to bed. Mandy said, "You’ve missed your chance!" So, Chris followed Geoff into the bedroom.

"Geoff, can I talk to you about something?" Silence. "We’d like to get married, can I have your approval to marry Mandy?" Silence. "Yeah, I supposed it’ll be alright". A long silence, then: "I thought you were going to say you’d crashed the BMW!"

Which brings us to the motorbikes! (Before I talk of this, invite all to view the photoboard. I must say I got a terrible fright! Not so much by the beached whale — Geoff loved to laugh at those photos! More by the reminder that he was once so thin and fit! The more I look at the photos the more I see a genetic inheritance Geoff and I both share!).

Geoff always loved motorbikes. He used to love to ride my 350cc Honda in the mid 1970’s. He took to it with his usual passion — only this one lasted to the end. In many ways he blossomed with the bike, and the bike clubs. He gained new friends and loved the exhilaration of the open road. Geoff loved to ride lead in groups. On the Hotham ride he took great pleasure in moving from being a corner marker and overtaking everyone, including Ben! Nick feels Ben was the reason why he brought the Kawasaki — maybe Geoff was the reason why Ben upgraded from a 700 to 900? He even got Marge to go with him. In May they had a wonderful holiday riding together to Queensland for the "Ulysses Club" AGM. Geoff was worried about how she would go. Before they started he said to Joyce, "I don’t know if she’ll stick it out". They had conversation-linked helmets. By the time they reached Loch, Marge said "I’m bored". They rode to Graham and Helen White’s home in Mount Eliza for the first night. Next day, Marge was given a different helmet! In the end it was a lovely holiday. Marge even said she’d do it again, but not the next day!

Geoff Barton was a warm, caring man, always giving of himself for others. Many say that he made people feel special, you just wanted to be near him. He was a fortunate man, surrounded by people who loved him. Marge says, "He was our rock, he could do anything and solve all our problems (or make you believe that he could). Nothing was too much trouble (his neighbours would attest to that)".

Now he is gone. We all will have to go on without him. Personally, he’s always been my big brother, the one I look up to. Also, the one who keeps me down to earth. Last year I performed the marriage of Lois and Alan’s daughter, Sally. It was a most important occasion. Yet throughout, Geoff was calling loud comments — mostly about his little brother!

One part of me has been waiting for him to call out from there, in his coffin. I bet he’d have something funny, remind us that life is for the living, that he died with his boots on. I know that he’d make us feel special, because he was special.

Marge, and Mandy, Peter and Nick, and Joyce, we’re so sorry that Geoff has died. But never forget that he’ll be in your hearts, and he’ll be watching over you from heaven.

My daughter, Annabel (who Geoff thought was special) got it right. She said, "Geoff won’t be lonely in heaven, he’ll be up there with Forda!"

But he’s also here with us, forever in our hearts.