Born in Young, 4 April 1926 to Albert Charles (Butty) and Harriett Patterson.
He lived in Murringo with his siblings - Jack, Will, Les (Snow), Rex - all deceased. Survived by his brother Bert and sisters - Jill Fahey, Una McDonald, Roma Newham, Sally Lawler & Pam Dunn.
Patterson Bros conducted a graveside service at the Boorowa Lawn Cemetery. Gordon’s cousin, Gary Ryan delivered the eulogy and Fr Troy Bobbin gave a blessing.
Gordon’s life was a life full of plenty of hard work as well as a lot of enjoyment with and for his family and friends. Gordon and Alma’s life together followed the old saying “the harder you work the luckier you get” and his family carried on the ethic in their lives.
Gordon was an exceptional athlete particularly in sprinting. He won many nearby towns ‘Gifts’ with prize money to the winner of one pound. On one occasion in Young he won the ‘Gift’ and teamed with his three brothers Snow, Bert and Rex to win the relay.
Leaving school at 14 years he worked as a fencer, a stockman, a drover, wheat lumper, (180 lb or 85kg bags), prune dryer, dam builder, wood carter and rabbiter.
Aged 17, Gordon joined to the Railway in Sydney and told them he was 21.
He worked on rail line from Carcore to Kingsvale for 4 - 5 years- spiking railway sleepers. Gordon could drive a spike into the sleeper in two or three hits. He was a very strong man.
All the workers were self-catered and slept in tents.
Gordon was a talented Rugby League player. When he was 21, he went to Sydney and played with North Sydney. An accident with an opened 44 gal drum finished Gordon’s chance of a Sydney footy career. He returned home to Murringo.
He was pleased to be part of the Maher Cup team to play in three finals.
In 1948 he joined the PMG (Post Master General Dept) as a linesman at Boorowa , erecting the poles and running the wires. After the first year he became the faults man. When a line went down anywhere in the district, Gordon would be called to repair the fault. The men always had traps set for the rabbits along the line. They made more money out of the rabbits than they did in wages!
Gordon met Alma Hyde and they married quietly in Goulburn in 1950 and set up house in Boorowa where they bought their first home in Brial Street.
In 1953 they bought the dairy in Campbell Street (now Walsh’s Kitchen) and ran it for 10 years. Milking twice a day every day of the year.
Gordon was on the committee for the Gaytime Festival. He became involved in Boorowa Schoolboys Football Carnivals cutting saplings, painting them and erecting them as goal posts. He was the “official” for Ground 1 (where the senior boys played). He cut wood for Lions Club & Rotary, Raffles. He manned the gate at Picnic races, Boorowa Show and Sunday Football. He was the doorman for the B & S Ball.
When the reserves (used by the drovers) were divided Gordon put his name in the ballot for a 70-acre lot on the Cowra Road. It was about two years before the house was built at “The Farm” as it was later to be named.
The house is built halfway up the hill because that was where the truck got bogged.
After eight years he sold it to Jack Elkins.
In 1964 Gordon sold the dairy and moved the family to Queen Street.
Gordon and Alma then started another business - General Carriers. They already had one truck and as business improved bought another.
Gordon sold his trucks to Les and Colin Denning and retired in 1976. Retired! He didn’t know how. He worked at the Golf Course - where he started playing lawn bowls - or in the shearing sheds pressing, rouse-abouting or cooking up a storm for the shearers.
In 1979 he tried again to retire and moved to Ulladulla. Again he busied himself doing odd jobs to keep active. He really enjoyed the lifestyle but missed his children. After 10 years it proved too hard to be away from his family, especially his grandchildren. They moved to Melba, a suburb in Canberra where Gordon lived the remainder of his life.
Gordon loved to attend family functions. He took great delight in seeing the extended family gather together for any occasion.
He loved his garden and always had to have a tomato and new potatoes before Christmas. Even as his health was fading he made sure his family put in the onions, tomatoes and cucumbers.
Gordon leaves behind his wife of 61 years - Alma, their children and partners Doug and Kym, Jim and Lois Allan, Bruce and Yvonne and his treasured grandchildren.
Rest in peace, Gordon.
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