Originally Posted by
RLI
G'day folks,
Not what has made me angry, what has made me sad.
The passing on Monday of a life long friend of our family, my dads, best mate Gordon Quinton. Dad had known Gordon for over 47 years. Traveled out to Australia the first time to NSW n 1966 and finally WA in 1970. After only living in WA for 12 months both family's travelled from Perth to Geelong in 1971 crossing the Infamous Nullarbor Plain, hundreds of kilometers of the worse corrugations in the country at the time.
Gordon was responsible for my my outdoors nature, he taught me how hunt & shoot. He bought me my first .22 Bruno rifle, took my dad and I spot light shooting most Friday nights and Saturday shooting trips around Ballarat, Rokewood, Skipton, Colac, Peterborough/Port Campbell in Victoria.
Took me Crocodile and Buffalo shooting in the mid to late 1970's in the Northern Territory. (those were the farken days when we used to spot-light crocs at night, after shooting them, both my Gordon and I would would jump in to tail-rope the bastards, while dad another friend Ray would watch out for other crocs)!
Gordon was there for me when I returned from the Rhodesian Bush War in 1980, by providing me with the airfare to return to Australia, he saw my passing out parade in 1980 when i graduated from Kapooka after joining the Australian Army.
The man was more like an uncle to me and was my dads best mate, he owned 3 Nissan Patrols over his action packed life, he bought a G60 in the 1970's, (pile shit that was, i remember helping him on two occasions fixing the bloody gear-box.) He then bought a MQ patrol wagon and travelled around Australia in 1980 with his family, he also travelled to Cape York in 1981. That trip inspired me to do the Cape with my Army mates in 1983. Finally in 2003 he bought a second hand GQ wagon which he only had for a couple years.
Unfortunately, cancer struck the good man down, he was never right when his wife Sandra passed away last year, he effectively gave up on life, Sandra was his soul-mate, best-friend they were inseparable. Dad visited Gordon last Thursday in Ballarat base hospital, Gordon was released on the Saturday, dad spoke to Gordon on the Sunday where the two of them made arrangements to have coffee with one another on the Monday.
Unfortunately, that never happened, dad arrived at 11.00am Monday morning this week and was unable to get in, after ringing one of Gordon's daughters he was directed to a hidden key to gain access to the premises. Dad found Gordon collapsed on the hallway floor, after ringing 000 and been directed by the medics to give CPR while the ambulance was sent from Ballarat to the remote town of Dereel which is 20 minute drive, Gordon was pronounced dead when the medics arrived. He had died in his best mates arms!
Today, i fly from Coffs Harbour to Geelong to attend Gordons funeral on Monday! Whilst i write this thread, i am already teary eyed. I will miss you Gordon Quinton, thanks for all the great memories and advice you gave me through my life's journey. May you rest in peace!
PS, Farkkkk, we did some crazy things together old friend, you will be truly missed!
Regards,
Paul,Ally and family
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