Lorne Victoria Australia

Lorne people with family names starting with S.

• Sellars, Peggy and Ray (2017)
• Sims Family
• Solomon, Diane, 2016
• Smith Family
• Smith, Sherryl (2017)
• Spring Peter
• Stirling Family
• Stirling, John Douglas ‘Doug’
• Straw F.W.
• Stribling Family
• Sturton-Gill, Joan
• Styles, Moira and Colin (2017)

Sellars, Peggy and Ray (2017)

Every winter Peggy and Ray escape to France to visit their son and his family, a Global Director of an Advertising Company based in Paris. They love travel anyway and take these opportunities to tour   Europe or go on various cruises, usually with friends or family.

The Sellars were born and educated in Whyalla, SA.  After finishing school, Peggy began a career as a hairdresser and Ray as an apprentice with BHP. They married there in 1969. In 1974 they moved to Tom Price, WA, to join the mining industry. They stayed for eight years.

In 1982 they moved to Geelong where Ray started work as a Maintenance Supervisor with Alcoa. Peggy set up a hairdressing business with a partner, in which she was involved until she retired recently.

How did they end up in Lorne? Lorne became a favourite place to visit on a weekends. Later on, the family stayed with friends in Wye River. When those friends bought a house in Lorne they often stayed with them and their love of Lorne grew stronger. Nine years ago the Sellars had an opportunity to buy here and have been coming at every opportunity since.

Every Christmas and New Year they are joined by their son and his family from Paris and their daughter and her family from Torquay

In his retirement Ray plays tennis, is a volunteer driver for Vision Australia, enjoys helping out with his three grandchildren, does a little gardening and loves to fish from the Lorne pier – although he admits he doesn’t have much luck with that. He plays the odd game of golf at The Country Club.

Peggy says she loves being retired, cooking, travel, gardening and time with the all grandchildren.

CW

Sims Family

Olivor Sims was originally from Colac.  He owned two businesses in Lorne.  Firstly, the general store 72 Mountjoy Parade, with his brother Fred, in the 1950s. Secondly, the garage at 32 Mountjoy Parade originally owned By Messrs Reed and Clarke.

Olivor sold the garage in 1960 and he then owned Western Motors garage in Geelong.  Sadly, he was killed in 1964 in a motor accident whilst travelling from Colac to Geelong.  He was survived by his wife and four children.  Rodney, his son was 14 at the time of the accident.

Rodney Sims AO

Born in Lorne, in 1950.  He attended the Lorne School and then Geelong College.  He graduated from the University of Melbourne with a first-class honours degree in Commerce.  Rodney later went on to receive a Master of Economics degree from the Australian National University in Canberra.  He served as chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission from 2011 to 2022.

Smith, Sherryl (2017)

Some members of Lorne’s combined Uniting and Anglican Church congregation believe Sherryl coming into their lives was the result of a higher intervention. She says, ”I was picked up by the scruff of the neck and dropped in it.“

Sherryl had been living in Wye River prior to the recent bush fire and had been filling in occasionally for then minister, Lynton Wade. After she lost everything even her beloved cat on Christmas day, the Lorne community embraced her. When Lynton retired soon after, it was a natural progression that she took over his post. “Things have worked out really well.” Although the Manse is the fifth place she has lived in since the fire, she feels she has dovetailed with her congregation, describing them as “the most extraordinary group of supportive people, so full of life’s experiences and skills, wisdom, knowledge and openness.”

But Sherryl hasn’t always been Reverend Smith. Born in NSW and educated in Albury, she graduated from the National Art School Sculpture Campus with a degree in Visual Arts. Completing a Diploma of Education, she taught art in high schools including Newcastle, Sydney, Hay and Albury before her involvement with setting up The Albury Regional Art Gallery and her own gallery – Gambrawatha.

 She regularly took time off to travel overseas, including to Bangladesh where she worked with Terre des Homme, France, for six months as a community worker. “I taught women how to make chapattis with fish meal for greater nutrition and helped set up the “Bisic Design Centre” in Dacca for handcrafts.

Then after returning to teaching in Albury, marrying and having a son, she experienced “a strong conviction to study theology.” Following placements in Parishes and time as an industrial chaplain she launched a Psychology Practice providing Employees Assistants Programs to public and private sector organisations, including Victoria Police. Thirty years later she began to long for her passions – design, wildlife and the environment. She extended her house in Wye River to include a studio and began designing pet accessories for factories in China. She learned Mandarin so she could converse with factory workers and material suppliers.

 Sherryl was actively involved in the ‘ anti- clearfell logging campaign’ and with  wildlife rescue and rehabilitation. In a world first, she designed special rescue equipment.

She is excited about the potential St Cuthberts’ location has to become a “Centre for Mission” – a community hub. Her vision includes landscaping, building temporary accommodation and a commercial kitchen to serve organisations like schools, youth groups, seniors, family reunions and other activities. Her congregation supports better use of the site, especially community outreach.   With consultation well advanced, who knows what she/they will achieve?

CW

Solomon, Diane, (2016)

Diane Solomon, 2016

Diane was born and educated in Johannesburg, South Africa . Growing up, one of her biggest dreams was to come to Australia, the birthplace of her mother.

After school she travelled around Europe and for two years lived in the United Kingdom before returning home to study for an International Marketing Management Diploma. Her first job was in wine sales then later took further work within the wine industry. “I always had multiple jobs and always in hospitality”.

In 2009 Diane came to Australia to meet her mother’s side of the family.  It was an emotional time. She enjoyed the experience so much, she decided to stay and set about exploring Australia. She spent a year in Darwin as a Wwoofer , during which time she met the sister of the then owner of Lorne’s Cuda Bar who suggested she should apply for a job. Diane came and not only worked at Cuda Bar but between times away from Lorne worked at Chopstix, the Mexican Restaurant, Mantra, Frangos, Bush House Cottages and Chatby Lane Cottages.

 “I was always saying goodbye but always coming back. “

 Meeting her fiancé Callan may have been an attraction too. Returning from an overseas trip and while enjoying a drink at The Grand Pacific, the manager whom she knew, offered her a full time job in reception, where she has been for the past year.

Diane lists her passions as Nature, people and flavours of the world. She also loves Lorne and was touched by the way the town embraced and welcomed her. She has joined Lorne’s Vocal Group and has performed with them at the Anzac Day service, the Lions Christmas Carols and at Lorne Hospital lunches. She has friends in The Lions Club and helps out whenever she can.

She maintains a relationship with her family in South Africa with an annual visit.

CW

Turton-Gill, Joan (2018)

One Good Friday evening, after 12 months of looking in various locations for a holiday house, Joan and her husband were taken to view a property on a hill above the town. The moon was shining on the water in its full Easter glory. They bought that block and in 1985 built a house that was to become very much part of their life. It has always been a party house, the place for all our major milestone celebrations and many holidays with family and friends. Our motto was ‘LIVE LIFE’ and before Peter died two years ago he made sure I understood that was still to be.  We had been married for 49 years.

Joan’s family came from UK by ship, when she was eight. They settled in Bairnsdale where she began her education. At 14 she went to Melbourne to try nursing. There on a blind date Joan and Peter fell in love at first sight and married. They had two daughters who have produced five grandchildren.

At 23, Joan went back to school part time to obtain her VCE to enter university. She not only gained a Bachelor of Arts but followed with a Master of Education and Business. She taught senior boys for 20 years at schools including Xavier College, Whitefriars and High Schools. In 1996, although she loved teaching, she decided on a career change and joined her husband in their family business as General Manager. There was one condition though, she was to have one day off to play golf, something she has continued to do and which in fact has kept me going and has contributed significantly to my sanity.

After they sold their business, the Sturtons enjoyed ten beautiful years of retirement. Long before that though they began their travels exploring the world and long road trips around Australia. While we had a daughter and her family living in Hong Kong I went there 45 times. Joan continues to pursue her passion for travel. She is not long back from Spain and South America and more recently from golfing in NZ.  Next is the UK before year’s end and in April next year she will visit Japan to see the cherry blossom.

Opera, theatre, music, art galleries, Pilates, book club, bridge lessons, walking, gardening, following North Melbourne and looking after grandchildren keep Joan on the run. Lorne provides a balance for my busy life. I am surrounded by supportive neighbours who I look forward to seeing every week.

CW

Styles, Moira and Colin (2017)

At school Colin thought about becoming an astronomer. When the time came to decide on his future he chose medicine instead and specialised in radiology. Most of his career has been in Melbourne except for a year in Papua New Guinea, two years in Canada and 16 years in Geelong.

He is a strong believer in the value and importance of living and working overseas, to be exposed to a different perspective of life.

Moira taught until she began having their three children. She has always been interested in craft and over the years has done many short courses. Loving study and purely for self- interest, she went to university after the children had grown up and earned a Bachelor of Education, a Bachelor of Arts and a Diploma of Visual Arts. That represents serious commitment from someone who describes herself as impatient. Moira loved to play tennis but since her two hip replacements her preference has been for croquet.

As a student Colin played tennis and baseball. With seven grandchildren much of the Styles leisure time these days is spent involved in their activities.

Moira and Colin’s connection to Lorne is a familiar story. When they lived in Geelong they visited friends in Lorne and as often happens, they fell in love with the place. They eventually bought a block of land at the back of the town, on an unmade road where there was only one other house. After three years they commenced building.

Just moving back in after renovations they are looking forward to spending more time down here. Not quite retired, Colin is thinking about the travel, the writing and all the new and different things he wants to try then. Lorne sounds just the place.

CW

Sources

• Lorne Historical Society Collections
• Surf Coast Times, Committee for Lorne Page, Community Profile by Cynthia Wynhoven.