Geoffrey
George Prescott, our father, was born at Pine Hill in South Australia on 23rd
March 1907.
When Dad was about 2 years
of age the family travelled by sea to Queensland and settled in Ducklo near
Dalby.
Between 1911 and 1913 the
family moved again, to Tara. It was here that Dad worked in his parents
general store, carrying and mail service business.
In 1940 he enlisted in the 8th
Division Transport - after the family’s trucks were requisitioned to help
in the war effort. In August 1941 Dad left Australia for Singapore. He was
lucky to escape capture during the fall of Singapore but was subsequently
captured in Java. He spent the remainder of the war as a prisoner working on
the Burma Railway until the Japanese surrender in 1945.
On his arrival back in
Australia he spent time in hospital, before being discharged from the army.
On the 5th
January 1946 he married our mother, Joan Annette Dines and this year they
celebrated their 54th Wedding Anniversary.
He became a proud father on
2nd June 1948 when William was born, followed by Jennifer in 1950
and myself in 1956. He raised his family at West End and then in 1960
purchased a new home at Mt.Gravatt.
Christmas holidays in the
early years were spent at Suttons Beach at Redcliffe. After moving to
Mt.Gravatt, Dad took us on more distant camping holidays. Jenny and I both
have less than fond memories of the flies at Blackheath.
After some years at Lamson
Paragon, bookbinders, Dad was employed as a postman at Woolloongabba by the
Post Master General’s Department (now known as Australia Post). He worked
there until his retirement in 1972.
Dad was a keen gardener and,
until his hip replacement in 1988, worked everyday in his vegetable garden.
GEOFFREY
GEORGE PRESCOTT