General News
26 August, 2024
Man of many talents remembered
Kevin Graeme Polack was born in Jeparit on the 20th of January 1942, the first son, and second child of Gladys and Theo Polack.
His older sister Beryl was born in 1937.Kevin’s family welcomed two other brothers, Ivan in 1943, and Ronald in 1946.
The family lived in Tarranyurk. Kevin attended Tarranyurk and Katyil schools until unsealed roads made it impossible, and their mother set up correspondence school in the smoke/bake house.
On a couple of instances, Kevin regularly told, when their mother left the room, the boys would grab a twig out of the open fire and smoke it.
When their mother returned, the room was full of smoke.
“Have you been smoking?”
“No Mum. The fire has been smoking!”
Of course, their mother believed them.
When they heard their father come home on the tractor they would jump up, leave the room, with their mum following behind them.
Kevin played lots of tricks while he was at school. He wasn’t much of a sports fan though. Every time the school boys played cricket, he would field down the back by the line of trees. When the ball came down there, he would throw it back and then disappear in the trees to his hidden bike. He jumped on, rode to his grandmother’s house to grab his trailer and would do mowing jobs he had previously lined up.
Kevin observed the teacher struggling when showing the school kids the art of welding. Kevin didn’t like to see people struggling, so with his passion for welding and his good wit, he gave his teacher private lessons.
The family attended the Lutheran Church in Katyil. The children attended Sunday School every week. Kevin was baptised by Pastor B.E. Bartholamaeues on the 24th of February 1952, and he was confirmed in St John’s Dimboola on the 8th of September 1957 by Pastor N.G. Keller.
At the age of 12 he started work on the farm, tractor driving and general farm work.
At the age of 16, Kevin Morrow came to live with the family. The two Kevin’s worked the farm together with many stories and laughs shared between them.
His sister Beryl was tragically taken in 1959. This really took a great toll on Kevin’s life.
At a young people’s youth group get together at Lake Hindmarsh, Kevin met a girl called Margaret. A friendship developed. On the 13th of March 1965, they were married in Dimboola Church by Pastor Clarrie Schmidt.
Their new home together started on a farm on Rattrays Road, which was purchased in 1964. In August 1966, their first son, Stephen was born, followed by Sandra in May 1968, and Adrian in June 1973.
Then a farming battle began: drought, mice, floods, and grasshoppers.
As a backup they had pigs, calves, and cows for milking.
One day, Kevin said, “we have the ideal shed. Let’s get some chickens!” It was agreed to get 100, which would be one box full.
So, Kevin got to work, and found a wooden lid with globes under it for heat. The day the chickens arrived there were four boxes.
Kevin never did things in halves, so the saga of the 400 roosters began.
Kevin was always a marvel when it came to construction.
He built himself a machinery shed for the farm. On seeing this, farmers from around the district wanted one.
He went on to build six more of his own. Stephen often asked his Dad, “how do you do it?”
He built sheep yards, cow sheds, bull pens, garages, wheat bins, augers, field bins, trailers, and bulk bins. Whatever Kevin needed, he built. Nothing was too hard.
When quoters came in, Kevin decided he had had enough. “We are going to put the farm on the market!”
It sold in a short time, and the family bought a house on Government Road in 1975.
One day, Kevin Morrow from Amor Motors told him, “Warracknabeal needs a wrecking yard”, so on a slab of concrete outside a horse stable and a caravan for an office, Warrack Auto Wreckers was born.
Sometime later the big “work shed” was built. Stephen completed his mechanical apprenticeship and worked with his Dad for some years.
The family attended the Lutheran Church in town, where Kevin took on roles of lay-reader, teaching in Sunday School, and Meals and Wheels.
In February 1977, another son, Brendan, was born.
Kevin was controller of the SES for 15 years, a job he was proud of. Along with Kevin Liersch, they turned an old ambulance into their first SES rescue vehicle
He joined Rotary. There, with Ray Duffield, a catering trailer was designed and engineered by the pair of them. This trailer is still utilised often by the Rotary group at any community function.
Kevin joined Lions, and for a while he joined other interest groups like pistol shooting and car clubs.
A few years were spent holidaying in tents but then Kevin came up with the idea of a camping trailer, which held everything.
As age took over, Kevin and Margaret bought a caravan. They travelled for nine months, touring Australia. The pair joined a caravan club. Many good times were had, and many good friends made.
Kevin’s stroke in April 2010 took its toll. In 2021 Kevin had a nasty fall which nearly took his life. That brought on dementia which took over his life very quickly.
Sadly, he passed away in Ballarat Base Hospital on the 25th of January, 2024. He is reunited with his mother, Gladys, who passed away on the 19th November 1987, his father, Theo, who passed on the 4th March 1990, and his much loved sister, Beryl.
Kevin was a much-loved husband of Margaret, a cherished father of Stephen, Sandra, Adrian and Brendan. Father-in-law of Trish, Darren, Jeanie and Helen. A fond pop to 15 grandchildren, two husbands, two partners, and a great-grandpa to three.
Left to mourn are his brothers, Ivan, Sue and families, Ron, Lyn and families, and many other relatives and friends.
- Contributed by Cody Polack, grandson.