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Howdy Folks! It’s hard to believe that Celebrate Living
History has being going for five years! I still remember
the moment that inspired me to go to the Gold Coast and
pitch an idea of an internship program to Stephen
Stockwell at Griffith University. Looking back I don’t
think many others would believe in something so strongly
and take a chance on an idea. I did and I am so glad that
since then I’ve had the opportunity to work with many
students and seniors. I truly believe we only have one life
and that we have to take chances and make things
happen. What I love most about CLH is the ability to be
the person facilitating the connections between students
and seniors. Nothing makes me happier than offering the
opportunity for a senior to feel acknowledged and
respected for their wisdom. I also love that their stories
are showcased online for the community to enjoy a
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www.celebratelivinghistory.com
Celebrate Living History NewsletterSemester 2 2016
Bev with Lisa Messenger
Words from Bev the founder
of Celebrate Living History
Words From Bev
Wilkinson
Barry Boyd
Meet Ryan
Book Review
Intern Gallery
Sponsors
Memories of 2012
Contact Details
Connecting young
people and seniors to
celebrate stories for
future generations
Bev with Griffith University interns Ryan and Jayden

2. Send Bev to the USA Edition. Find the campaign on Go Fund Me Semester 2: 2016
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Barry Boyd- A Self-Made man and his birds
By Kate Grant
Barry Boyd has been a regular customer
at the Chinese restaurant I’ve worked at
for the last six years. He’s almost the only
reason I’ve kept the job for this long. He
sticks out as my favorite customer
because he is genuinely interested in the
little things I’ve been up to during the
week, and isn’t shy of a bit of banter. I
love hearing about the odd jobs he’s been
working on, how his lawn mower is
performing, and his vast collection of
exotic birds.
Over the years the little snippets of
conversation we’ve shared while he
waited for his Mongolian lamb have
painted an interesting, although
incomplete, picture of a man who has
lived a very full life here in the Tweed
Valley. I know it has been tumultuous
few years for Barry having lost his
beloved wife suffering from dementia. In
the brief window I see into his life every
Sunday evening, I see an interesting man
who has overcome great loss with a
strength testament to his character.
I went to visit Barry at his home in Duranbah
just up the road from Tropical Fruit world in
the Tweed Valley. He lives in his own
comfortable quarters in a house shared with
his son and his family. Barry has lived in this
region all his life he tells me, “I was born and
bred here. Born amongst all the lucky threes.
I was born 31st of the 3rd, ’33. That makes me
83. So I consider myself lucky; number three
is lucky for me.” I wouldn’t hesitate to agree
with him, but I must clarify that I believe
Barry has made his own luck.
Growing up on a dairy farm in Condong,
Barry was the fourteenth child out of his
sixteen brothers and sisters. Being raised on
a big self-supporting farm meant he learnt
the value of hard work from a very young age.
Every morning at daylight he would get up
with his brothers and sisters to milk 150 cows
by hand before school. Sounds like a lot of
hard work to me but Barry assures me, “Kids
today wouldn’t really know, wouldn’t have a
clue of the good times I had on that farm.”
He’s right, I don’t know and something in me
is envious of his upbringing because it has
certainly awarded him a strong work ethic.

3. Celebrate Living History Send Bev to the USA: www.gofundme.com/SendBevtotheUS
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“The day I turned fifteen I never went back to
school. I’ve lost count of all the jobs I’ve had but
I’ve done really well. The wife was very clever, we
worked hard and we put our money aside. I’ve got
no worries at all now, can sit back and retire with
plenty of money to have a good time.”
When I asked what kind of advice he would give
to the younger generation, Barry stressed the
importance of being careful with your money.
“You’ve got to put money aside if you want
something. If you want something don’t get it
unless you can afford it. If I couldn’t afford what I
wanted we wouldn’t get it. That was our motto.”
Barry met his wife when he was twenty two at a
dance in Parramatta. In their fifty seven and a
half years together they worked hard for the
things they wanted in life and made do with what
they had. Barry shows me a picture of his late
wife which he keeps on the wall in his living
room. From the way he speaks of her I can tell the
gravity of love and respect he still holds for her.
“We had a wonderful life and she was a clever
lady. Even that dress she’s got on and her
wedding dress, she made all that. She worked in a
bank, worked in Victor motors. She was a wiz on
figures. She’d make the kid’s clothes, my clothes.
She was a clever lady. So it’s the hardest part of
my life right now, I’m lost without her. It’s hard.”
Barry nursed his wife for nine years as her
dementia progressed. In this time I can remember
Barry coming into the restaurant giving me
updates on her health and how he was coping. I
could tell it was wearing on him strongly but he
refused to put her into an aged care home despite
himself being hospitalised three times as a result
of the stress.
“I nursed her right up until a week before she
passed away. She didn’t know much, didn’t know
what was going on but she knew what a nursing
home was and she’d break down and cry and beg
me not to leave her there. I vowed and declared
that I would never put her in a home, I refused
point blank.”
The love and dedication Barry had for
his wife is an indication of the
indomitable strength in his character.
Here is a man who never gives up and
stands by his morals. Learning of just
how much his wife’s illness and
passing ‘knocked him around’ over the
past nine years has made me
appreciate even more his happy-go-
lucky demeanor and warm smile which
I’ve known him for.
Even now in what he calls a lonely
period in his life, he is keeping busy on
his family’s property tending to his
birds and maintaining the impressive
aviary he built with his son. Barry has
always had an interest in birds ever
since he was eight years old and his
father brought him back some
budgerigars from Sydney.
At this time in his life I believe these
birds and his family give him the
strength he needs to carry on living a
fulfilling life. From what I know of
Barry, he is happy when he’s got
some work to do and with so many
birds and fruit trees to look after I
can see him being quite content here.
“It’s good company here. I got my
birds and my five acres to play with.
It’s like being back on the farm where
I was born.”

4. Send Bev to the USA Edition. Find the campaign on Go Fund Me Semester 2: 2016
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"Elizabeth is missing. Did I tell
you?" How do you solve a
mystery when you can't
remember the clues? How do
you convince people that your
best friend is missing when no
one takes you seriously?
Elizabeth Is Missing follows the
plight of Maud, who is trying to
track down her missing best
friend Elizabeth all while
slipping further into the clutches
of Alzheimer's disease. Maud tries to piece together
small snippets of her ailing memories in an attempt to
not only track down her missing friend, but to also
convince those around her that she knows what she's
talking about.
Emma Healey captures the daily frustrations and
struggles people with Alzheimer's and their families face
on a daily basis. Having known someone with
Alzheimer's, Healeys depictions of the disease are
accurate and believable.
Small pops of humour break up the frustration of Mauds
disjointed memories and the story flips back and forth
from the present day to Maud’s childhood where she
tries to track down her missing sister. This breaks up
the story nicely and keeps the book flowing along at a
good pace. Elizabeth is missing was a captivating read
and I desperately wanted to know what was going to
happen next the entire time. It also gives those who
aren't familiar with the debilitating effects of Alzheimer's
an insight into what it must be like to both have the
disease and the way other people respond to it. Over all
Elizabeth is Missing was an enjoyable read which
opens up discussion on a disease we, as an ageing
society should be talking about more often.
Book Review
Elizabeth is Missing – Emma Healey
By Melissa Haber
What attracts you about
being an intern for
Celebrate Living History?
The opportunity to further my
PR and writing skills while
supporting an organisation
that truly cares for all in our
communities. I’ve always
loved history and what better
way to learn than to meet
those that truly live it.
Who is an older person
that you admire and why?
My Nana Sadler. She’s been
through some hard times in
recent years and she is still
pulling through with a smile
on her face.
Meet Ryan our
Griffith
University
intern

5. Celebrate Living History Send Bev to the USA: www.gofundme.com/SendBevtotheUS
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Mike
Continued from page 1
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different insight into history. Do you remember
last semester I applied for the Winston Churchill
fellowship? Well I stumbled across the Generations
Remixed Conference, which celebrates people,
organisations and projects that focus on connecting elders
with young people. Which is exactly what I am excited
about. I applied to be a speaker and would love the
opportunity to chat to such a great audience who connect
with all generations. Also to attend the conference and
bring all the knowledge I’ve gained back to Australia. It
would be wonderful to get the community involved and in
a sense follow me on this journey. So I have set up a
Go Fund Me Crowd Funding campaign at
http://www.gofundme.com/sendBevtotheUS.
I was really hesitant to get this campaign up and going.
For those that know me well, I’ve applied for so many
grants and have tried crowd funding before. Every time
I’ve come close but I’m never the one. But I thought maybe
third time is a charm with crowd funding? We hear all
these stories about people that succeed but never about
those who continue to struggle and despite the odds keep
going. So I’m doing this for those that keep getting
knocked back. If I keep trying then you can too. Persist
and one day you will get there.
Speaking of idols this semester I met Lisa Messenger who
is the founder of The Collective Magazine. I attended the
Kick. Start. Smart event in Brisbane and stalked her silly
to grab a photo with her! I loved that despite the odds she
decided to launch the Collective Magazine, which is very
inspiring to anyone who wants to start a business or
movement from scratch.
Till Next Time! Keep dreaming big!
Founder of Celebrate Living History
Bev Wilkinson
Every year I head up to the
Gold Coast and meet my
student interns.
I’ve had the greatest
pleasure of helping them
create wonderful stories to
be shared within the
community.
But most of all I value the
connections they make
with an elder person that
they otherwise would not
have.
Top- Madison 2016
Below – Trine and
Helana 2013
Mike 2015
Meeting interns
Gallery

6. Send Bev to the USA Edition. Find the campaign on Go Fund Me Semester 2: 2016
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Thanks to our sponsors and supporters!

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[Street Address]
[City], [State][Postal Code]
[Web Address]
Celebrate Living
History
PO BOX 11253
Frankston 3199
Visit Send Bev to the
US ON GO FUND
ME.
www.celebratelivinghistory.com
Contact:
Flash Back the Year 2012 (Where it all started!) Bartiste Frankston