As you will read, Edward (Ed) John Bennett has left a full life. Ed worked hard on his education, his job, his sport, his volunteer life, and his family. Darlene Cook sat down with Ed so he could tell his life story.

I was born in 1940 in Casino, the youngest child in a family of six, with three brothers and two sisters. I have to admit that being the baby of the family meant I was probably spoiled a fair bit by my parents and older siblings.

I know my younger sister, who was six when I was born, was so happy because she now had a real live baby doll to play with!

My father’s family were working at Wyan Station when he was born in 1886. They then moved to Wooroowoolgen Station, near Casino, where my father had his three years of schooling between the ages of 10 and 13. In 1899, they moved to the western portion of Dyraaba Station and lived at Theresa Creek.

It is interesting that I have as many tertiary qualifications as my father had years at school. This is a big jump in one generation, but it is due to the difference in opportunities that we had.

By the time I was born, the family lived on a 400-acre dairy farm at Simpkins Creek, Mummulgum, which my father operated in conjunction with a grazing property at Theresa Creek.

During WW2, farming was a Reserved Occupation, and many farmers were not accepted to enlist in the armed forces. However, like many other farming people, my father joined the Volunteer Defence Corps, a part-time military force modelled on the British Home Guard.

There were some food and clothing shortages during the war years. I remember my mother’s joy at bringing home a bag of rice in 1946 – a small luxury at the time. Electricity and a telephone were finally connected to the farm in 1948. 

Life on the farm was not all work and no play. Every year we had a beach holiday, camping at Evans Head for a month from Boxing Day. However, it was not for all the family. There was not much time at the beach for my father and brothers because the cows still had to be milked, so it was Mum, my sisters and me at the beach.

(Ed on family holiday at Evan’s Head)

My four oldest siblings completed their schooling at Mummulgum Primary School, proceeding beyond sixth class to what was called super primary, or seventh and eighth division, until they reached leaving age.

Most of us rode a horse to school, except the younger of my sisters, who preferred a bike. My younger sister was the first to go to high school in Casino. She left school while in 4th year to work in a bank in Ballina. All my siblings married and moved to their own dairy farms around the district.

(Ed on his pony Tim on the farm at Simpkin Creek, Mummulgum. Ed used to ride Tim the two miles to school.)

My mother encouraged me not to leave school early, but to continue my education through high school; I attended Marist Brothers School in Casino for 1st to 3rd year and then Casino High for 4th and 5th years.

I was the first family member to complete high school and go on to higher education.

I was fortunate to win a Teachers College Scholarship to the University of New England in Armidale, where I studied Geography, Economics, English and Geology. I gained my Teaching Certificate at Sydney Teachers College.

I met my wife, Denise, at a dance at Sydney Teachers College in 1960. Denise came from Wagga Wagga, and we married in Wagga in 1962. We have two daughters, Susan and Megan.

In August 1964, we bought a property of just under 5 acres fronting the Wilsons River upstream from Lismore that had been a market garden. Over the years, we have observed many floods at close quarters. We ran a couple of cows for many years. We are still there today, and a ride-on mower has replaced the cows.

In 1961, I began my teaching career at Ashfield in Sydney, then spent two years in Albury. In 1964, I transferred to Richmond River High. In 1990, I took a position as Head Teacher Administration at Casino High, where I retired at the end of 1998.

(Ed with one of his classes at Richmond River High School in 1967)

I well remember my start at Richmond River High School. After my transfer to Richmond River was finalised, I received a welcoming letter from Ray Blue, who was the Master in charge of the Commerce Department that I was to join. Amongst other things, he said, “as a fit young male, you'll be expected to do four things.”

First was playing in the cricket team that was made up mostly of Richmond River staff because Southern Districts Cricket Club had just re-formed, and one of our staff members organised a ready-made Reserve Grade team, which the club was happy to adopt.

Second, was to play golf as several of the staff, including the Headmaster, were keen golfers. This suited me as I had been a member of Albury Golf Club. My golfing career started when I was in my fourth year at Casino High. One of my best mates was Bill Bosley, a classmate who was a leading NSW junior golfer. He invited me to have a hit with him when he used to practice after school. My brother, Don, bought a second-hand set of clubs for me and I was ‘hooked’.

(Ed driving on the 1st tee at Lismore Golf Club)

Third, was to join the Civil Defence flood boat group because it was run by one of the staff, and about ten staff members were active floodboaters. Just one week after school started in 1964, I was out on the river in a boat learning the ropes.

Fourth, was to “give the lizard a run” at the Metropole on a Friday afternoon. I was unfamiliar with the saying, but soon found out it was going and having a beer with the staff at the end of the week.

Sport, travel and community service have always played a big part of my life. In the past 61 years in Lismore, I’ve been involved with a variety of organisations and activities.

As a student at Casino High, I represented the school in rugby league, athletics, cricket and tennis and played cricket with the Teachers team in the Casino competition. At home, I played for Mummulgum Cricket Club in that local group competition. While at university in Armidale, I played cricket and rugby union, and while at Sydney Teachers College I played for Fernleigh in South Sydney Junior League.

Here in Lismore, I played cricket for Southern Districts for almost 15 years and served in both President and selector roles during that time.

I joined Lismore Golf Club in 1964, and I am still a regular player. Soon after joining, I was elected to the committee on which I spent a total of twenty-five years, including some years as President, and Captain. I was granted life membership of the Club in 2015.

As well, I worked as an official at the Australian Open Golf Championship in Sydney on 15 occasions between 2006 and 2024.

In addition to golf, I play tennis once or twice each week.

Travel has taken me to just over fifty countries and all seven continents, including Antarctica and to all corners of Australia.

(Ed and Susan kayaking in Antarctica)

During my children’s school years, I served on committees of St Carthage’s P&F and Richmond River’s P&C.

I was a keen bushwalker, and after retirement, I was a member of the Northern Rivers Bushwalking Club committee, including some years as President, and led many Sunday walks.

I’ve been a member of U3A for over 30 years, and I’ve been a convenor of a French class and am currently a convenor of a tennis group. I’m also the organisation’s Public Officer.

The history of this area, and my family history, are both important to me. I have been a member of the Richmond River Historical Society for many years and was Secretary of the Society for ten years.

I have served in the SES for over 60 years – and earlier this year I received a 60 Years Service Certificate. I joined in 1964 and spent 11 years in the Lismore Flood Boat Group. Since 1975, I have been involved in flood intelligence, firstly at Richmond Tweed SES HQ, now called the North Eastern Zone, at Lancaster Drive, Goonellabah and since 2016 at the Lismore City Unit in Brunswick Street. 

(Ed, Denise and Susan on the day Ed received his 60-year SES service award)

My role in Flood Intelligence involves monitoring rainfall and stream conditions in the Wilsons-Leycester catchment during flood events and providing information and advice to local and regional Incident Managers to assist them with operational planning and management. I am assisted in this by about thirty people who belong to a catchment Floodwatcher Group.

The floodwatchers often provide very useful information about rainfall, stream levels and road conditions, which supplements data from the automatic rain and stream gauges in the catchment. During the quiet periods between flood events, I continue to collect and analyse historical flood data in order to better understand how floods develop and behave, with the aim of providing the best possible service to the community during times of flooding.

What of the future? Well, at this stage of my life, a quieter life beckons, but while I remain fit and able, I will keep on playing golf and tennis and will continue to indulge in another passion, travel, with Denise.