Harrison (Cr) Douglas Arthur
| Type of person | Individual |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | 4-3-1930 |
| Date of death | 1992 |
Douglas Harrison was Councillor for Evanston Ward between 1961 and 1978.
Doug Harrison coached the Evanston Primary Football Teams in the late 1960s, early 1970s.
Douglas Arthur Harrison was born on the 4th March 1930, the second of three three children to Arthur and Constance Harrison of Gawler with the family home being on Adelaide Road opposite the race-course.
At the age of two, Doug’s mother passed away after a short illness and thereafter Doug and his siblings were raised by their father with the help of a number of female relatives and family friends: a house-keeper was engaged who subsequently became his stepmother when his father married: the family moved to Hillier Road.
Doug attended Gawler Blocks primary school where he was a more than capable student. His formal education ended early as was common during WW2 and he entered the workforce at a young age, joining the South Australian Railways as a junior porter based at the Gawler railway station. After a stint there, he transferred to the freight yards at Dry Creek as a Shunter, remaining an employee of the SAR his entire working life: Doug was to become a very well known and recognised character at the Gawler Station Parcels Office, popular with both workmates and visitor’s to his workplace.
On transferring to Dry Creek, Doug purchased a motorbike which was the pride and joy of the teenagers’ life.
At 18, Doug started dating Ruth Burton, second daughter of Albert and Hilda Burton, also of Gawler. Doug and Ruth were engaged in March 1952.
This is when trajedy struck - an event that would impact the remainder of Doug’s life - but also instil in him the will and courage to overcome obstacles and succeed.
On Saturday 19 April 1952, Doug was involved in a serious collision on the Main North Road at Parafield that involved two other motor bikes and riders: he suffered a badly fractured right arm and concussion. Recovery took some time and Doug was left with the permanent disability of paralysis of his right arm, requiring an extensive rehabilitation program and the need to relearn much, including to write with a non-preferred hand.
But recover Doug did and his disability did not stand in the way of doing most things as well as the more able-bodied. When deemed fit to return to work, the SAR placed Doug in the desk job at the Gawler Parcels Office that would remain his workplace going forward.
Doug and Ruth were finally married on 10 December 1954, built their first home at Railway Terrace, Gawler West and set about raising a family. They were to have two children: Bob, born in 1955 and Lynette, born in 1958.
It was in the early 1960s that Doug’s significant and wide-ranging involvement, commitment and service to the local community commenced, and included: • Doug successfully running for Town of Gawler councillor, representing Evanston Ward, in 1961: he remained a councillor for 17 years, actively participating across a range of Council sub-committees, retiring from the role in 1978;
• longterm involvement in junior football in the district: Doug was one those involved in forming the local primary school based Little League competition, coached at Evanston Primary for more than 15 years and was actively involved with representative teams;
• with the opening of Evanston Primary School in 1962, Doug took on a voluntary role of groundsman, maintaining the school’s newly established sporting field: it was not unusual for Doug to be at the School late at night managing the watering of the oval (using the School’s ride-on mower, Doug would also be present at school fetes running “train rides” for the younger children);
• for a period in the late 1960s Doug assisted the local Uniting Churchs’ Reverend Hore run weekly Youth Group sessions;
• being an active member of his workplace Social Club;
• Doug being actively involved in School Parents & Friends committees, his local workplace Union committee, the local ALP sub-branch committee and the Gawler & District Football League committee;
• Doug being an approved and registered Justice of the Peace, a role that he took most seriously.
Doug was a ardent life-long supporter of the Gawler South Football Club: during the season he would always be seen on boundary line amongst the die-hard barrackers on game day across all grades of competition.
To Doug’s family and friends, he was always available to assist when there was a task or job to be done: his concrete-mixer was well travelled around town with many a backyard footpath or veranda slab having mixed and laid with his assistance and oversight.
As Doug was approaching 50, his health started to deteriorate.
At first, manifesting as fatigue and weariness, it impacted upon Doug’s ability to work and continue his community roles: to start with there was no clear diagnosis of the problem but it gradually worsened. Eventually Doug was diagnosed as having multiple sclerosis: he continued to be as active as he could, with short periods of remission, but the disease was relentless.
By his early 50s Doug was confined to a wheelchair. Ruth cared for Doug at home for a number of years but as the disease took further hold this was no longer possible. At the age of 56, Doug was placed into full time care at the Julia Farr Centre in Adelaide, where Ruth continued to visit on a daily basis.
Doug passed away from complications associated with his illness in late 1992, aged 62 years.
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