“… The friend of man, the friend of truth

The friend of age and guide of youth

Few hearts like his with virtue warmed

Few heads with knowledge so informed”

These lines from Robert Burns well describe Kevin Brady, who died in Condobolin on 11th September, 2011. He lived his whole 84 years within a 10 mile radius of his beloved Condobolin, and the Lachlan River, and was known for his great passion for, and commitment to, his family, his community, his love of music and poetry and the beauty of the English language, in which he was highly accomplished.

Kevin Noel Brady was born in Condobolin on 16 December, 1926, the eldest child and only son of Tom and Clarice Brady, and much loved brother of Pat Hartcher, Mary Benbow (dec’d), Denise Stubbs and Carolyn Allen. His grandparents, Terence and Catherine Brady and Henry and Eliza Roberts were not only pioneers in farming and business in Condobolin, but were also involved in the Municipal Council, various sporting associations and St Joseph’s Catholic Church. In 1938 Kevin and his cousin Terry were the first altar boys to set the Brady bell, donated by their grandfather, a-ringing in the church tower.

Kevin’s formal education began in 1935 through Blackfriar’s Correspondence, and then until 1940 he made the daily 5 mile trek on his pony, or in the sulky with his sisters, to St Joseph’s Convent School. It was here that he acquired not only a love of learning, but a sense of duty, which stood him in good stead all his life.

In 1940 Kevin went to St Joseph’s College, Hunters Hill. He went on to do very well academically and, much to his surprise, at boxing as his chosen sport. He loved his Alma Mater and was delighted that his son and grandsons followed him there, and was an enthusiastic Joey’s Old boy.

Armed with his Intermediate Certificate, Kevin returned to Condobolin and life on the land. He worked on the family properties, “Waitohi”, “Ruby” and “Tilga” with his father Tom and Uncle Jack, producing merino wool and growing irrigation crops. In his memoirs he describes being first a roustabout and later the wool classer at “Tilga” and “Waitohi” during the shearing, and other aspects of life on the farm – “Albert Khel was the first man to show me how to handle the reins with a horse team. He sold my father the first pony I ever owned. Jack Ingram taught me to roll a smoke and whistle through my teeth – a sheep dog could hear me half a mile away! Smacker Smith broke me into the hard yakka of bale tying on a Lucerne press. In one day at “Ruby” he and I tied a bit over 400 bales, which was something of a record at the time.”

In 1947 Kevin joined the Condobolin Show Society and began a lifetime of dedication to the Condobolin community. He went on to become Show President in 1971-72, and in 1987 was awarded the rare honour of being made a Show Patron. Even after his retirement from the committee in 1995, he continued his interest in the Show, in fact in 66 years, the only Show he missed was in August 2011, two weeks before he died.

In the 1950s, Kevin did a course in Meetings and Procedure and Public Speaking. He was a stickler for correctness in the conduct of meetings and the making of speeches, and came to be a master of both in the ensuing years.

In 1954 he became the third generation of Brady men to serve on the Municipal Council, which he continued until 1964. In 1958 he became a Director of the Condobolin Hospital, becoming Chairman of the Board in 1962. He still holds the record as the youngest man to hold chairmanship of a hospital board in NSW.

In the mid 1950s he was one of the founding members of the Western Round-Up Committee, and his love of horses led to his involvement in establishing the Condobolin Pony Club in the early 1960s. He delighted in his role as qualified instructor, and in later years as a Patron of the Club.

During the 1960s Kevin enjoyed his membership of the Condobolin Bowling Club, serving on the committee for several years. In 1967 he, Wal Ticehurst, Dick Johnson and John Faulkiner were part of the Grade IV Pennants side who, having won the Zone flag, travelled to Sydney to play for the State flag.

In the 1970s Kevin joined the Condobolin Lions Club, an organization which entirely suited his philosophy of community service. For twenty-five years, two as President, he helped organize and fund projects such as the Titmus Eye Testing program, which tested primary school children in the Lachlan Shire for eye problems; the donation of a Slit machine to the hospital for diagnostic eye testing; a new humidicrib for the maternity unit, a donation for new x-ray equipment as well as many other projects. He and Bid attended interstate and international Lions conferences, including Hong Kong in 1992, when they were en route to their grand tour of the UK and Ireland.

In his later years, Kevin was an active member and President of the Condobolin Men’s Probus Club, and thoroughly enjoyed their activities and excursions.

One of his greatest passions was the Condobolin Historical Society. He loved the beauty of history, and was a font of knowledge as far as Condobolin was concerned. Under his presidency, the Society enjoyed many excursions to local historical sites, such as Eremeran Station, the Overflow or the old Cobb & Co route from Condobolin to Euabalong, enhanced by his knowledgeable commentary. He was involved in writing many historical papers on Condobolin on topics such as Morton’s Crossing, Condobolin street names and the infamous Court House Ballot marbles scandal, to name a few. In 2009 Kevin was honoured with Life Membership of the Historical Society.

During the post war years, Kevin developed his love of music, carrying on a tradition inherited from a musical family. He had a beautiful tenor voice and was soon involved in the church choir, singing three and four-part harmonies, and the solo tenor part of Webb’s Mass in G, which remained one of his all-time favourites. He was also involved in the local Concert Party, a group of local musicians who travelled around performing all over the district, raising money for war loans and Red Cross. In 2006 Kevin was one of the founding members of the Condobolin Sing Australia choir. In 2009, Kevin and Biddy enjoyed the thrill of singing in the Sydney Philharmonic Choir’s performance of Hayden’s “Creation” at the Sydney Opera House, but his greatest joy was singing with, and listening to, his children and grandchildren performing much loved family favourites. He had a wide and diverse taste and repertoire, ranging from the classics and church music through Gilbert and Sullivan, Irish and American folk music, to musicals from the 1940s to the present day. As well as being musically gifted, Kevin had a talent for reciting poetry with brilliant accents and comic timing. To hear him recite “Albert and the Lion” in pure Cockney, or “The Christening” in broad Irish brogue, or any of Banjo Paterson or Henry Lawson, was to enjoy a rare treat.

Kevin loved a beer and the conviviality of the bar, the good company of men. His kind, gentle nature and charming humour won him many, many friends.

It is said that the greatest gift a man can give his children is to love their mother, and this was surely the greatest legacy of Kevin’s life. Of all his achievements, it was his family and the loving home life that he and Bid created over the 61 years of their marriage that was the pride and joy of his life. He was loving and much beloved, not only by his children and their spouses, Paul and Judy Brady, Annie and John Joseph and Jill and the late Chris Slennett, his nine grandchildren and great grandson, but also by his large extended family and network of friends.

The Condobolin community has lost one of its finest sons.

Valè – Kevin Brady