FORMER Tumut businessman, Phil Barton, last week announced the release of his latest publication “The Man from Picnic Hill, Memoir2, 16 years to Retirement”.
It is indeed rare that in one lifetime someone can write two memoirs of what has been a very full and interesting life.
The first memoir published in 2014 was named “The Man from Picnic Hill” it covered Barton’s life from birth in February 1945 through to the day he closed the business known as Parktown Autos Ford & Mitsubishi dealers Tumut on Friday 30 March 2007.
This current memoir covers the period 31 March 2007 to 15February 2025, the day of his 80th birthday.
It is the story of a country motor dealer (Ford, Mitsubishi & Toyota) who retired at age 62, then transitioned from a high-pressure job to nothing.
The silence of the phone not ringing and the reality of becoming yesterday’s man was life changing, the risk of descending into depression a real risk.
“Then one day whilst out riding my pushbike I saw where the local council had mowed a public space alongside the Tumut River, the finished product, a beautifully mowed grassland with unsightly grass strands around tree and bush bases,” he recalls.
“The thought came to my mind that council could not reasonably fund staff to trim the tree bases and grassed boundaries; I would investigate doing it for them.”
Barton approached the Tumut Shire Council Parks and Gardens manager, a plan was agreed to where he would volunteer his time to finesse the parklands alongside the river walk. From that initial approach, an 11-year journey of fulltime community volunteering began.
This book covers the various projects that Barton took on pro bono, using all his own equipment, whipper snipper, pole saw, hedge trimmer, chain saws, hand tools, a 4×4 Mitsubishi Triton Tray back tipper, during the 11 years.
“My work extended to other projects and organisations, one in particular was the Tumut Riverglade Wetlands which became my signature project,” Barton said.
“I also became chairperson of the Tumut-Batlow Rail Trail Project for five years and four months, a controversial project that was fiercely fought against by a sector of the farming fraternity in the Gilmore Valley, supported by the powerful anti-rail lobby and the Tumut Shire/Snowy Valleys Council.
“Most of the local elected councillors refused to engage with our committee choosing to blindly support the farming group in the Gilmore Valley.
“It was a very divisive time, our committee tried to consult with the farmers, explaining our plans and methods of overcoming their objections, our farm consultations came to an abrupt end when all gates in the Gilmore Valley were locked to our committee.
“All during my chairmanship I pedantically maintained records, both in print, Facebook posts, voice recordings, and of person-to-person encounters, and published a book; “The Tumut-Batlow Rail Trail Story”; the trials and tribulations of trying to bring an asset of value to one’s community.
“In this, my current book, there are chapters covering the project, there is also short stories of cycling and four-wheel drive adventures, a comprehensive chapter on the 2019/2020 Dunn’s Road Fire, the extra volunteer work of myself and others, then the volunteering to help rebuild the fences of affected landowners, some located in the Gilmore Valley.
Throughout the book you will read of many wonderful outcomes and people, then the nastiness of a sector of community that thought it fair play to try and destroy one’s reputation, sullied at any cost.”
And despite after 51 years of contributing to the community Barton loved, he and his wife were forced to sell up and leave town, the intimidation and bullying would not let up.
“The Man from Picnic Hill” Memoir2 “16 Years to retirement March 2025” is now available on Amazon Books – there is also an e-reader version for downloading.
