Historian, pioneer of the Christmas Bell industry, farmer. His life was consumed by learning, and a willingness to push back the boundaries of acceptance.

Mr Dick passed away on July 20. His funeral was held at the Innes Garden Memorial Chapel on July 27.

His early schooling – with brother Wal – was with the St Agnes parish and it’s fair to say they were not the most popular of students.

His family believes this was the birth of his lifelong aversion to authority figures.

By the age of 13 he joined the seminary at Springwood in the Blue Mountains. Eight years of study, ‘real’ education, sport and the recreation of bush walking and bird watching followed. In the end though, he was dismissed with no career prospect.

After obtaining a Commonwealth scholarship, he entered university with a view to agriculture or forestry. Three years later his next adventure took shape as a Commonwealth Overseas Officer in TPNG – a territory of Papua New Guinea.

After graduating in 1960, he married the girl from across the university benches and the promised two years rolled into 20 years in PNG.

Merrianne was born during a posting to Kerowagi.

Gordon continued with distance education. Latin was a snap after years in the seminary.  He had always liked history, and sociology came easily. His BA was followed by a M.Ed.  studying the expansion of the coffee industry.

With his new education qualification Gordon entered the agricultural college system, just beginning in the country. A study year in Australia followed during which Gordon’s son Rohan was born and Gordon obtained qualifications in industrial psychology and rural sociology.

A move to the centre of government in Port Moresby followed as Gordon became assistant secretary for education and training, a post he held until independence.

The family returned to Australia where he remained in education and training. But he hated living in Sydney.

The final years of Gordon’s working life sent him all over the developing world. He joined one consulting company then another, travelling to advise mostly on agricultural education. He also had charge of  groups visiting Australia, sometimes made up of a dozen nationalities, who came to observe various aspects of life and industry or science here.

With the constant travel taking its toll, Gordon began planning his final project: returning to his roots in Port Macquarie.

Armed with his childhood knowledge of the land and water he began to look for a suitable place to attempt the cultivation of Christmas Bells. These are a wild flower strongly associated with the area and not successfully farmed before.

 There followed the happiest 20 years of his life.

Against all predictions of failure, the seeds germinated, the plants grew  and flowered, and will continue to do so, we have to suppose, without his help.

Gordon Dick was 82 years of age.