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When I went to visit Phyllis Mactier last week, I paused outside her front door, unwilling to ring the doorbell; not because I’d gone to the wrong place and was now late (although I had, and I was) but because I didn’t want to interrupt the music.
It is not often I hear the piano played so beautifully.
I had come to chat with her about her art, which I had heard was exceptional. When I finally touched the doorbell and Phyl came to the door, there was a great deal of her work in front of me.
One painting in particular caught my eye; it was beautiful, powerful and perhaps sad. I was to find out why a little later.
Phyl and I skirted around the edges of our lives, getting to know one another.
We discovered that both of our mothers had graduated from the London College of Music.
Phyl’s mum, in 1916 with a musical award, and mine 20 years later with the same award for drama. I know it wasn’t easy in 1936, and it would have been even more difficult in 1916.
Phyl’s first work was nursing; she trained at the Mooroopna Hospital and practised until 1954, when she married Stuart, a Dorset Horn Stud breeder, and became a farmer’s wife.
Three sons and a daughter later, she was ready to return to work. Phyl completed a refresher course and resumed her nursing career.
Life-changing grief – and some solace
In October 1976, it was Shepp Show weekend, when there was a visit from the police.
Their son had been killed in a car accident.
Phyl asked ‘which one?’
Graeme was 19 years of age and a passenger in a vehicle which had hit a tree, in Lake Mountain Rd, Marysville.
A little later, Phyllis received a kind letter from a lady who had discovered the accident.
But it was 11 years before Stuart was ready to travel to Marysville.
They walked along Lake Mountain Rd, looking for ‘Graeme’s tree’.
As they walked up the hill, a woman came out of her house and asked if they wanted to cut through her property and shorten their return.
They accepted; then she offered a cup of coffee and, again, they agreed.
During the course of their conversation, their hostess asked if they had received a letter after the accident; she was the author.
This kind woman had kept some items from the car – and planted six trees in memory of Graeme.
God works in strange ways!
The planting of those trees moved me immensely.
What a wonderful thing to do, for a young man she had never met!
The painting that had ‘called’ me was of the area close to the accident site – it is called ‘Marysville’.
Life goes on
1976 was a year of change for Phyl. Dr John MacKellar decided to open a clinic in Tatura and asked Phyllis to join him.
There was a particular piece of equipment — diathermy machine — that Phyl was interested in.
It was helpful for many patients, if the operator knew what she was about.
She wanted to learn more about its benefits and completed a course.
When Dr MacKellar decided to close the Tatura clinic, Phyl was ready to go into business.
She purchased an electrolysis machine, which sent electric currents deeper into the hair follicle and assisted people with hirsutism.
She opened GV Skin Care at 72 Wyndham St, Shepparton – and ran a successful operation until the early 90s when retirement called.
She sold the business, and it has since been relocated.
She had always wanted to paint and, it eventuated, was very good at it.
She joined the Rodney Arts Society.
The more I saw of her work, the more I realised its scope and its strength.
She doesn’t know how many paintings she has completed; ‘in the hundreds’ she thinks.
She has sold many of them.
I teased her about her abilities, both musical and artistic.
She said, ‘I’m not a writer’.
Then, remembering, she said ‘Oh! I did write three books’.
Then, she showed them to me – all local, written for the people of Tatura.
In fact, one is called People and tells the stories of local families.
This one came about because she was chairperson of the Australia Day Committee for several years, and a committee member for even longer, and most of the information was available to her.
This led to a conversation about Australia Day and its future. I said that if the government gets back into power, we will probably see a change of date.
Phyl replied, ‘not in Tatura’. She then talked about Tat’s Australia Day celebrations this year on January 26.
“It was wonderful – there were so many people – and some from Shepparton.“
Something happened
I have written before about two people sitting down to chat – prepared to be authentic, to listen and to share.
Trust develops and friendships begin.
However, my meeting with Phyl was something else again.
She had an appointment, and it was time for me to leave – I didn’t want to go.
Despite my complete lack of musical and artistic abilities, we had truly connected.
I feel I know her very well indeed.
I spoke to her today and said, ‘Something happened’.
She said it was the moment I remarked on her Marysville painting.
I don’t know.
All I know is that we have a lot more laughing to do and a great deal still to talk about.
A remarkable lady
Phyllis Mactier is far from your average 91-year-old.
She is passionate about her family, her faith, her hometown, her art and her many ‘projects’ – a recent one was a brochure needed for Tatura’s visitors.
She sends hand-painted birthday cards to her friends; she has tea towels made from some of her paintings.
She has eight grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren — and much love for them all.
She laughed at me today, and said I was writing her eulogy.
However, Phyl will be busy for a long time yet.
She still has much to do and more to give.
Tatura is lucky to have her; we are all lucky to have her.
Where was I?
I have complained for decades about my lack of artistic genes.
I went missing when the gene pool was divided – but, all around me, in my children and grandchildren, I see examples of artistic and musical genes.
Our youngest grandson, currently has an exhibition of his drawings at MEAC – and as with my entire family, he is a very private person.
It took weeks for his mum to persuade him that his drawings were ‘good enough’.
He sometimes works from existing characters, puts them in different positions and creates costumes for them.
He turned 15 a few days ago, but the work on display has been produced over three years.
He agreed to the publication of a drawing, but I’m not to include his name.
(Unless you call into MEAC, of course.)
Please take care everyone.
Particularly at roundabouts when others forget to indicate!
May it be easy, my friends.
Marnie
Email: towntalk@sheppnews.com.au
Letter: Town Talk. The News. P.O. Box 204. Shepparton 3631.
Phone: Text or call 0409 317 187
Town Talk