Norton Raymond Sidney

Fast Facts

Type of person	Individual
Also known as:	Ray
Date of birth	1927
Place of birth	Unley
Principal occupation	Agriculturalist
Date of death	2016

Ray's farming skills were renown, and he loved swimming, surfing, fishing and antique restoration.

In 1947 he was awarded an Agricultural Diploma at Roseworthy Agricultural College.

Read Ray's Eulogy <click here>

Gawler History Team thanks Sara Norton for these memories.

click here for photos

Please <click here> to view a photo of Ray's ROCA Award of Merit 1989.

Eulogy

Thanks Sara Norton for these memories - GHT

Eulogy : Raymond Sidney Norton 6th May 2016

We leave our mark and we play our part

in the nation’s pregnant days

And we find a place in the Bushman’s heart

Ere we vanish beyond the haze

Henry Lawson

Dad was born on the 26th March 1927, son of Stanley Edgar and Martha Chrysse (nee Molineux) Norton at Park St , Unley. He grew up around the corner at Russell St., with his sisters Doreen and Mary.

Raymond had a wicked sense of humor, which got him into many scrapes growing up. When young, he found a pair of glasses without lenses and proceeded to ask the teacher to write in an increasingly large font, until she realized his mischief. No doubt the cane, again! He learnt to play the violin at The Conservatory of Music and when practicing duets with Mary playing on the piano, he would play at different tempos, much to my grandmother’s chagrin.

His family history includes great, great, great Uncle Robert Molineux who was master of the Endeavour and thus part of the discovery of Australia. Even more relevant was his great uncle Albert Molineux who was an early State protagonist of education in farming practice and the development of planned integration of scientific knowledge and farming practice. He developed the Agricultural Bureaus which spread the information back to the farmers. Dad also was a promoter and participant of the Agricultural Bureaus in various regions throughout country South Australia.

Dad’s farming love started on the Molineux family farm at Tarlee. He would go up there for school holidays and help his Uncle Jack, who was a wartime amputee. Whilst there, he also learnt to ride horses and became a very proficient trick rider. His riding proficiency caused him to be selected to drive a team of Clydesdales for an ABC documentary in the 1960’s.

Following his Primary school days at Unley, he went to Urrbrae Agricultural High School, where he topped the state in Biology. He then went to Roseworthy Agricultural College where he developed many lifelong friends. His best mate (and his best man) was “uncle“ Peter March , who sadly died too young. Dad missed him.

Ray then went to Armadale for a couple of years, but having already met Pauline, could not stay away. He came back and married her - the love of his life. He started work at Roseworthy managing the poultry shed, the piggery and the dairy before becoming the general farm manager. Dad had a marvelous vision of the potential of land. He had many fabulous people to work with, and Ian Bidstrup reminded me what a lot of fun they all used to have. He writes “Ray contributed to the activities of the College and he was well respected by the many students that he met along the journey, and his peers.”

I have many great memories of being with Dad on weekends, sitting in the back of the ute with the dogs, and checking the piglets, sheep, fences, rain gauges and the Cumulo nimbus (cloud formations). My particularly favourite memories also include his efforts compering the student hour on Open Day. This was a night of fun which suited Dad. The students were always determined to get their own back on an unsuspecting Ray. One night, they had set up a Dean Martin like entrance down a pole onto the stage. Dad was not aware that they had greased the pole. He made a very rapid entrance and compered all night in a black striped tuxedo.

Dad was made a Life member of the Roseworthy Old Collegians in 1971 and he received an Award of Merit in 1989 for his services to Agriculture. He was also a judge of the Machinery section at the Royal Show for many years and judged crop samples at country shows.

In the early 70’s he moved from Roseworthy to Waite Institute. There he continued to make property improvements and ended up managing Waite, Strathalbyn, Martindale, Munduney and Moralana.

The latter were from a bequest to the University from the J S Davies Estates, the uncle of his best mate Peter, and I like to think that Dad took a special interest for his friend. Managing these properties, he had great support from his assistant managers Bryan Milligan and Ian Bidstrup, his boss Professor Jim Quirk and friends and Board members Grant Mayfield and Jim Pocock.

Dad had a vision for the properties as both an revenue raising and educational tool for the University. He improved land quality and developed vast tracts of land to potential and at the time of his retirement it was earning over $2 million a year for the University. Unfortunately this dream was later disappointingly crushed when the properties were sold by the University.

Dad particularly loved talking to people, recognizing their talents in both Agriculture and other fields. He encouraged many young people, including myself to strive to reach their potential. Whilst at Waite, he felt very honored that he was elected the Agricultural student patron in 1975.

Again in the words of Ian Bidstrup, Ray “was held in high regard by the academic staff, students and the people who worked with him on the farm. This was the mark of the man, he mixed it with everyone on an equal footing.”

Dad retired to Victor Harbor and continued his interest in people. I had a couple of elderly agriculturally inclined patients and with their permission I introduced them to my father. This led to Dad taking them on day trips. He also continued to visit Open Days around the State, with his friend and neighbor Lloyd McGuiness. This gave them the opportunity to meet up with people they knew from all over the state.

Dad’s farming skills were renown, and he loved swimming, surfing ,fishing and antique restoration.

However, he was no builder. Once we built a cupboard for the beach house. We started with a small cupboard and by the time we went around the outside twice, we had the size cupboard we needed. I am still not sure how he built my Cubby house by himself.

Ray dearly loved children, and we have been especially close to the Williams family. David was a great part of our lives from an early age and Dad was very proud of his achievements. David and Philippa have continued to be a part of our lives as their family grew. He loved seeing Nicholas and Alexander and was proud watching them grow and achieve goals.

Dad would have been amazed at today. Thank you. He had his own funeral plans and used to say that when he got egg on his tie he would go out in “minus 8” (our rowboat) and drop off the back. As he got older we noted that he stopped wearing as many ties and then sold the boat

Finally, a comment on Dad’s life philosophy from the man himself. Dad wrote a letter to Mum and me in 1972 at a time he thought he had a serious illness. It has remained sealed in the safe until now. After his death, Mum and I read the letter and I wanted to share part of this advice to me, with you.

“Appreciating the ordinary everyday things around you - the value of sincerity in dealing with others, the ability to listen to others and see their point of view

that interest in a subject generates understanding”

Thanks Dad

I love you

Squeezy

.

Related Articles

• Roseworthy Agricultural College and its Influence on Gawler

References

norton

RAY NORTON

Ray Norton (1)

Memories of Norton Raymond Sidney

Do you remember Norton Raymond Sidney ? Then Join up and add your memory here.

Support our sponsors!