“I grew up in Wentworthville in Sydney’s western suburbs. We lived on a big chunk of land and we rode billy carts, built tree houses, played in the local creek, rode push bikes and lived like kids should.
I taught Woodwork, Metalwork and Tech Drawing for 10 years at Busby High School which is now called James Busby High. Prior to that I studied at Newcastle for 3 years on a scholarship. I was one of the baby boomers, you know, free university, paid to live away from home so I could afford an old bomb car, go surfing when I wanted to and drink as much beer as I could afford . At the end of it I was guaranteed a job. The job happened to be Castle Hill High and when I arrived there was another teacher in my place so they double booked. I was told about Busby High so I got a job there and stayed for 10 years. I wanted a transfer to come up here but they wouldn’t give me one so I quit and came up here with my young family, Kim, Aleesha and Kate. We ended up buying a property at Eden Creek, Kyogle in about 1986. The kids were just about ready to start school. We had planned to be self sufficient farmers and make furniture. That lasted 6 months! I went back to casual teaching and realised that’s what I really liked and it was something I could do.
I taught metal work mostly in Kyogle which is where I became ‘Mr Steele, the Metalwork teacher.’ I also became Steeley, a name which has stuck. I worked at Kyogle High for 32 years, a great school and great kids. I went to a 20 year school reunion on the weekend and chatted to the kids who are now in their late 30’s. Lots of students came up and gave me a hug. We had a great night. One of the boys from that year, Chris Wilson went to Sydney and studied Engineering and has his own engineering company. He’s from a Kyogle dairy farming family so he’s bought a dairy farm back here and he’ll come back sometime. Lots of people move away and come back. Kyogle is a really nice town with the hills, the view, the pool and the water holes.
I love teaching, being in a classroom with a bunch of kids, particularly workshops. We’re laughing, we’re making things, we’re learning and we’re having fun. To me school should be fun. Kids who don’t want to come to school, we should be targeting how to make it fun for them not how to get their English level up. I always think kids learn better from teachers they like and respect or they have a connection with through sport or something.
We lived in Eden Creek for 10 years. My daughters grew up with horses, playing in the creek. They were 9 and 11 and they would go all day on their horses up into Blackhorse Creek. There would be 7 or 8 girls all with their own horses. It was the best life.
We decided we wanted to be a bit closer to Lismore and the coast so we bought 10 acres with a little box at Bexhill. I had built the house at Eden Creek where I did everything bar the electrical. The Bexhill property was a jungle on the side of a hill with a little box so I renovated that into a 3 level house. It’s my thing, I enjoy it! During those years I started going to a few bush doofs around the place and dance parties at The Winsome Hotel. We put a few parties on at Bexhill, sometimes 500 people. We had some cracker parties back then. The little bush doofs in the forest were great. When we left that remained would be some flattened grass. Everyone was mindful off the environment. The neighbours did think we were the hippies on the hill but life changes.
Kim and I split and the kids grew up. They both did a sewing course and ended up getting jobs with Wicked Weasel. There’s not much sewing with those bikinis. Kate ended up being quality control but eventually they both moved to Melbourne. I’m still trying to find half my stuff which disappeared on the truck when they left. I go to visit them and it’s ‘Ahh, that’s where that pot went! They love Melbourne and Kim’s moved down there now so they have their mum close. They are out in the Dandenong’s with our 2 happy, little grandkids, Clementine and Georgia.
Sixteen years ago I met my partner Jo through a mutual friend, Paul Morris. I’d been sailing with Paul and he invited me back to meet his friend and Jo was there. We made eyes at each other across the table and that was it. Jo’s daughter thought I was the worst person when we met and now we’re best mates. I had Bexhill and she had a little place in Goonellabah and we fixed it up. Jo’s daughter Heidi is out at Goolmangar on a property with her fiancé Brady Pagotto who is a Butcher in Dalley St Butchery and Jo’s son lives out in Caniaba so we have 3 more grandkids, Denin, Lennox and Reef. We’re pretty lucky! I love it when the grandkids come over. I have a billy-kart here for them and the kids love it because Popa says yes to swimming in the pool in winter.
Jo and I were feeling a little stale. We were driving our little Kombi motor home and saw another motor home which was a bit bigger with a toilet, etc. We sold the other one, got ready to take off and that’s when at 55 I received a bowel screening kit and after a reminder letter I did it. They told me to come in for a Colonoscopy. It turned out I had a bit of bowel cancer, had an operation but then I had to have 6 months of Chemo. The year we were to go travelling was me laying on the lounge looking like the walking dead. That was 2011 and I’m fine now. I had a Naturopath Di Steel(Jo’s sister in law) who was wonderful. She looked after all those things that get compromised liked gut health, etc. It was complimentary and helped. I got really fit, I relaxed and Jo looked after me. Another thing! Anybody out there reading this… Income Insurance! Without realising I even had it with my mortgage It made it possible to have that time. I did have some long service leave, some holidays and sick pay. I was able to take 2 years off. Now I have Prostate cancer which they found at the same time. It’s only very mild. I had a scan though the other day and they want to take it out or radiate it.
The second year we took off. We went to Tasmania where I could have stayed forever. We came back, tidied up here and went north to our friend at Mission Beach, parked the van next to the resort and picked up palm fronds to pay our way and then we went as far as we could into the Daintree, west through Mt Isa to Tennant Creek, up to Darwin and across to Broome. People say ‘What’s your favourite place?’ I say It depends on the weather. If you hit a wet, cloudy, rainy Sunday afternoon in Lismore, you would think it was a hole but you might come in when the Carboot market is on or The Quad is happening with live music on a sunny Spring afternoon then you think ,Wow this place is so cool! We stayed where the weather was nice. Margaret River was just magic. The Nullarbor was entertaining. There were times and places where it was depressing. We saw some communities that made us cry. A little place called Elliot. You see disenfranchised third world country here in our own country. It killed Jo and I. We met lots of nice people as well but we did see the stuff that wasn’t good.
When I first moved up from Sydney I thought Lismore was funny little hick town and everybody drove way too slow. Basically Lismore has a bit of everything, particularly now with The Quad and the gallery. There’s always things happening. I like Ballina because it’s right on the coast but it seems soul less. I used to love Byron but now it’s a transient town with party kids. Bangalow has become upper yuppy with very expensive shops. All the places I used to love when I first moved here I don’t like anymore. I’m loving how Lismore now has that little inner city vibe with it’s quirky shops, fantastic cafes, bars and a great community. Except for a Sunday, it’s a bit like a ghost town on a Sunday. We took some friends from Sydney out and you realise how lucky we are to have so much beauty on our doorstep, the waterfalls, Rocky Creek dam, Whian Whian, Minyon Falls, all those places are just lovely.
I’m 63 and I actually retire on the 28th January next year which is the day before school starts and it’s my 64th birthday. I will wake up on my 64th birthday fully retired. At the moment I’ve left for good on Long service leave, some holidays and I’ve finished.
I’m having a party on the 2nd December in Kyogle Bowling Club which is my old stomping ground. I used to do sport there with old Stan McBride who was a wonderful teacher. I’ve invited anyone and everyone so if you know me or I know you come along (laughs) to my retirement party. I’m not the teacher students want to throw rocks at. Not every student has loved me (laughs). I’ve stirred kids constantly and they love it. I’ve had a couple of kids who were wild, at a loose end and we’ve talked about life and I’ve had them come back many years later and say ‘That chat made a big difference and changed my life.’ Kids just need that one person who connects with them.
I’ve loved that I moved up here. This whole North Coast is just beautiful. People are more relaxed, more friendly. I feel this place has a soul. I’m not religious at all but you feel the soul here. That’s why it’s called the heart of the Northern Rivers. I can drive to Ballina airport in 20 minutes and be in Melbourne 2 hours later to see the kids. We do live in paradise. It gets hot, it gets cold, crazy wild storms but we do live in the best part of the world.”