VALE: Syd Heathwood

Born a third generation Dayboroite on the 4th September, 1918, Sydney was the 6th of 9 children born to Sam and Wilhelmina Heathwood of King Scrub.

He started his school years at Dayboro State School and then went to Mayfield School at King Scrub.  The Mayfield headmaster asked Pops’  father Sam if he would send the kids to his school to keep the numbers up otherwise the school would close.  Something he (the headmaster) may have rued at times from some of the stories Pop has told us. 
One in particular was when the Mt Mee Road was being built. The foremen’s tent was near the school and some of the lads thought it great sport to throw clods of mud onto the tent and then hide.  The foreman would come out, look around for the culprits and then go back inside. So they threw some more mud.  They were eventually caught and punished by the headmaster (after the foreman complained) and then went straight back to doing it again. The foreman gave up and didn’t come out again.
Pop had fond memories of his father Sam and his bullock teams.  He often went with him to get timber from the surrounding area and he could still name each of the bullocks in one particular team. He would proudly show any visitors the well known photo of one of his fathers’ teams in front of the Crown Hotel.
The amazing strength of his father was the subject of many stories. One was when a bullock wagon needed the wheel changed.  His father picked up the side of the wagon and his mate took off the wheel and put the new one on.  Another was when four men including Sam were to shift the new safe in the bank. While the others went to lunch, Sam did it on his own, leaving the imprints of his hob nailed boots in the newly laid lino.
Pop stayed on the farm after his dad died. He was only 14 at the time.  He worked the farm with his brother Charlie for some years and then bought the farm from his Mum and worked it as a dairy farm. (His mum had moved to Dayboro. She built and ran the Bluebird Cafe which is now the Dayboro Cafe.)
He married in his mid 20’s and had 4 children – Ray, Greg, Lyn and Col. He ended up with 8 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren.
In the mid ’60’s he changed over to beef production. He also grew pineapples, then went onto fencing and spraying with Doug Craig, Gerard Sellin and then with his son Greg. 
During this time he had a few battles to overcome but he did it by doing the one thing that made him feel good and that was to get out there and do a days’ work. He also took up playing lawn bowls and had a reputation of being the last to arrive and the last to leave.
His great passion was growing vegies – something he must have inherited from his mother.  Minnie (as she was known) was a real green thumb and planted and grew many fruit trees and vegies on the property at King Scrub.
Pops’ huge vegie garden fed the family for many many years. There were always plenty of spuds and pumpkin nearly all year round as well as green vegies in winter and mangoes and bananas when in season.  He also loved his chooks and ducks and reared these for most of his life.
Pop was still working the cattle and the garden (with help from Col) right up until recently.  He’d been an extremely hard worker all his life and become very frustrated at not being able to do what he enjoyed.
He was a joker to the last – telling the nurses jokes, winking at them and singing songs.
He was much loved and respected by all of his family and numerous friends.