NORMAN OLIVER ALLEN
Passed away 2nd March 2013
Late of Wollongong
Dearly beloved husband of JUNE. Loving father and father-in-law of DAVID, GREGORY, TERRY and SUZANNE.
Aged 80 Years
Travel Safely My Love
An interment for NORMAN will take place at Sandgate Cemetery, 116 Maitland Road, Sandgate on MONDAY 11th March 2013 at 12:00pm.
Norman Oliver Allen: Death on Saturday 2nd March 2013 aged 80 years
Funeral held at Kembla Grange 9th March 2013. Burial will be later at Sandgate Cemetery.
A celebrant conducted a service at the Hansen and Cole Funeral Chapel. Perhaps 100 or more people attended, including relatives and former teaching colleagues of both Norm and his wife June.
June asked me to deliver a tribute to Norman, as I would be the only one present who had had a very close friendship during his much earlier life. I was introduced as “his best friend”.
(The following text is material on which I drew in speaking at the Funeral.)
I began by saying I first met Norm when he was only 16 years old. The period of my intense friendship was from 1949 to 1954, just 6 years.
I met him in March 1949, Norman having just finished his secondary schooling at Sydney Boys’ High School. He was beginning a two-year primary teacher training course at Sydney Teachers’ College, situated in the grounds of Sydney University.
A NSW Department of Education Scholarship covered his tuition and books and he was paid 112 pounds annual living allowance in eight instalments each of 12 pounds. Enough for pocket money! Norm was living with his Mother in a terrace house in Barcom Road Darlinghurst. I would visit him by bicycle from Bexley.
Norm and I first met in a Mathematics optional group at College. We sat together for several hours weekly for 2 years enjoying solving Mathematical problems. He was to win the College Mathematics prize at the end of the second year.
Some years later he completed a Bachelor Degree in Mathematics externally from the University of New England. Later still, he became a Master of Mathematics Departments at high schools in Wollongong, after teaching in Sydney, Canberra, Island Bend (small school), Grahame’s Town (small school) and Temora.
Norm was to meet his future wife June while teaching at Telopea Park School in Canberra.
Specifically, our friendship really deepened through the weekend bushwalks of the College’s Kameruka Bushwalking Club in 1949-1950, and on much longer vacation walks within the state and interstate. In 1950, we missed only one weekend walk in the year and walked extensively in every vacation, covering over 1,000 miles (1600 kilometres).
Rain, hale or shine the walks went on, two men sharing a two man “A” shaped tent. I remember we observed the Southern Cross work its way right around the sky. Walking was an obsession. We were like inseparable twins!
Though appointed to schools apart in 1951, we continued extensive walks every school vacation through 1951-1954, especially in the Cradle Mountain Lake St Clair Reserve and also extended trips into Mount Anne -Lake Peddar area in South-West Tasmania.
When Norm was appointed to Canberra, and then to Island Bend, and I was at nearby Bombala, I travelled on my motorbike so we could take up weekend walking again in that region.
It is said the Internet is today’s window to knowledge on many subjects. I did search on the National Library of Australia Newspapers website for Norman Allen. The result was “The Canberra Times” article of 3rd June 1953:
“CORONATION CASUALTY: The first Coronation casualty in Canberra was Mr Norman Allen, a teacher at Telopea Park School. Approximately three weeks ago, he was cutting wood for banners, when his finger was severed by a circular saw. He was rushed to hospital and the loose section was sown back in place.”
All good bushwalking partnerships must come to an end. Marriage, career and/or studies can become a factor turning one in new directions. In August 1953, Norm and I were hitching a ride from Sydney to the Lamington Plateau in southern Queensland for walks at Binnaburra Lodge.
We were on the roadside at a quiet spot near Casino. Norm began to repeat, “I can’t go on, I can’t go on” and kept walking o the other side of the road to go home. Any way, we did get to Binnaburra. Already there were other Kameruka Club members. Norm said to me “you’re right, I’m off home”.
Romance had taken its toll. Norm had fallen desperately in love with a young lady Lucy June Upton whom he married in 1954 when I was proud to be Norman’s best man at his wedding in Sydney.
The deep friendship we had established over the 6 years endured, despite often being separated by long distances. Apart from exchanging cards and many overlong telephone chats, more recently there have been our yearly Centre Point Tower luncheons in Sydney. We were to have lunched again soon, but sadly that was not to happen.
I plan to go to the Tower for lunch later this year with Brian Petrie, another ex Kameruka close walking mate of Norm. Brian would come down from Canada, where he had migrated, and always made contact with Norm. His visits were a trigger for arranging the luncheons.
Brian intends to visit Norm’s grave at the Sandgate Cemetery during his visit. We will try to get together a small group of ex walkers for a reunion in Sydney.
Finally, Norm was very well known and highly thought of by many bushwalkers from numerous Sydney clubs. He also played an important role in the NSW Federation of Bushwalking Clubs Search and Rescue Organisation.
Remarking on how the burial of Norman would be delayed by some days, due to the flooding of Sandgate Cemetery, I said that surely this was remarkable as, many the times, Norm and we bushwalkers had had our progress held up by flooded rivers.
This is a sad occasion, but there is much to celebrate about his life as far as I am concerned.
Leslie Watters
9th March 2013
