General News
24 January, 2024
Robbie Collins: Lover of sport and family
GEOFFREY ROBIN COLLINS 1939-2023 ROBBIE Collins had a love of community and sport throughout his 82 years. The Wedderburn identity, who played in Inglewood’s 1958 football premiership side, was born in Carlton, grew up in Rheola and married wife...
GEOFFREY ROBIN COLLINS 1939-2023
ROBBIE Collins had a love of community and sport throughout his 82 years.
The Wedderburn identity, who played in Inglewood’s 1958 football premiership side, was born in Carlton, grew up in Rheola and married wife of 63 years Margaret at Kingower in 1960.
He attended school at Rheola and was a winner of the charity carnival races for local children.
After leaving school he worked with his uncle school. Robbie was driving bulldozers, digging dams and clearing land in the Mallee.
Robbie retired from the Shire of Korong at the age of 55. This enabled him to spend more time training his greyhounds. He had several good greyhounds, all winning races but the most outstanding greyhound was Friendly Footman.
Robbie was also a well-known eucalyptus cutter and distiller. All the years he worked on the Shire of Korong he had a second job cutting and distilling eucalyptus oil, processing many vat’s out at the Woolshed Flat Factory owned by the Nisbet Family.
After retirement he continued making eucalyptus at Hard Hill Tourist Reserve in the working Eucalyptus Stew Pot. Robbie with other Wedderburn Tourism volunteers entertained many busloads of tourists showing them how to make eucalyptus oil.
Robbie loved telling jokes to the tourist’s and he was well known for this, especially the joke about Old Mr Smith, the woman aged 70 or Aunty Betty with her hair in rollers. Robbie for many years volunteered for the Minelab Wedderburn Detector Jamboree. Robbie was a member and life member of Wedderburn Tourism.
Robbie during his retirement cleaned the Wedderburn Mechanics’ Institute Hall and worked as a cleaner at Wedderburn College. Robbie retired from both cleaning positions at the age of 82.
He had been a member of Wedderburn Masonic Lodge and served as master for two years, Rheola and Wedderburn Fire Brigades, Wedderburn Harness Racing where he drove the tractor and roller on race days and supervised the work for the dole program at Hard Hill Tourist Reserve and at at Wedderburn Community House. He played the town’s Santa for many years fooling his grandchildren.
Daughter Robyn said: “Robbie loved each of his grandchildren immensely, always making the time individually for them to hear what they had been up to and their achievements. Alexander the only grandson he cherished so much enjoying the year he played football for Sea Lake and they won the premiership.”
“Work was a big part of Robbie’s life either paid or volunteering. He often made comment no good sitting there, you either use it or loss it your mobility.”