Stuart Raymond John Bishop, known throughout his life as Ray, was born on the family property around midnight on 1 August 1920. His father, not willing to leave his fourteen-month-old daughter and his wife while she was in labour went outside and called for help. When his calls were not heard he fired a few shots from his gun to try to attract the neighbours’ attention. Unfortunately, this did not work as nobody heard the shots and so Ray’s father acted as midwife for his birth.
Ray attended the Pimpinbudgee School from the age of six until he was fourteen. At the beginning of his school life, he had to walk to school but then graduated to riding a horse through the paddocks to school.
After leaving school Ray came home and worked on the farm. Everything was done with horses at that time and Ray became an accomplished horseman. After a time a tractor was purchased, a hayshed built and in the mid-1940s a milking machine was installed which made the job of milking the dairy cattle much easier. He also had an ‘Atlantic’ fuel agency and sold drums of fuel and kerosene to the people of the area. His other activities were as an agent and organiser for cattle sales which he held at Kings’ Yards near Maidenwell. These sales took place each month and depending on the number of cattle being sold, lasted from around 11am until 3pm. Lunch was supplied by the ladies of the QCWA.
One of Ray’s favourite hobbies was kangaroo shooting which he did almost every weekend. He also went possum shooting which was only permitted in the season. This was done at night with a light attached to his head to highlight the possums. After a successful night, there were possum skins to be tacked out to dry the next morning.
Another of his pastimes was his activities with the Young Australia League. He went on two camps with the organisation while he was associated with them. One of the trips was to the Brisbane Exhibition.
Ray’s first car was a Hillman single-seater which he purchased in the 1940s.
In 1950 Ray married Carmel Watts of Wengenville. They continued to live on the farm and had a family of three sons.
In 1963 Ray and his family left ‘Idlewilds’ for Kingaroy. On first arriving in Kingaroy he rented a house for a time and then purchased the family home at 56 Doonkuna Street.
He spent his first six months working at the Kingaroy Peanut Silos and then got a job with John Dundas Holden. He spent the rest of his working life there in the spare parts and repair division.
After retiring from full time employment Ray’s hobby became the collecting and selling of scrap metal. His collecting forays took him throughout the district and as far as Murgon. He sold the metal to the depot in Kingaroy and after that depot closed he made regular trips to Ipswich.
Ray was also a devout church goer and walked from his home down to St. Mary’s church two or three nights a week.
His greatest assets were his honesty and his willingness to help others. He displayed these traits throughout his life and was a true gentleman.
Ray passed away in September 1991 and is buried in the Nanango Cemetery in the South Burnett, Queensland.
