Palmwoods
District News

September
1998

Page 9

OUR PEOPLE
Trish proves a woman of substance

TRISH Littler’s sense of spirit and adventure can be attributed to her father’s forward thinking in an era when women were not encouraged to think for themselves.

Although better known in Palmwoods today as the wife of local councillor Geoff, Trish is very much her own person. She is actively involved with the community and is constantly on the run between community work and family commitments.

But it’s nothing new for Trish who has enjoyed the taste of life’s adventure for as long as she can remember.

"I came from a family that was very forward thinking and my father strongly believed in equality for women. He believed that women had the right to education and the ability to achieve and strive for anything they wanted," she says.

Born and raised in Sydney, Trish has enjoyed a globetrotting lifestyle spending two years in England, 27 years in Papua New Guinea, two years in Darwin and the last 20 years in Palmwoods.

At the tender age of 19, after completing her teaching qualifications at Sydney University, Trish jumped aboard and set sail to teach in England.

"Back then, it took six weeks by ship and cost £300 for a return ticket," she recalls.

"It was quite a brave decision at the time, because when we travelled in Europe there was still a lot of residue and ill feeling from the war."

Trish taught with the London County Council and lived in Earls Court, made famous as a haunt for young Australians in the 1970s movie adventures of Bazza McKenzie. Many Aussies still seek it out as an address which indicates to Trish that times haven’t really changed that much.

After spending two years teaching and travelling throughout Europe in between, Trish reluctantly decided to return home on the P & O Orion.

"It was on the boat trip home that I met Geoff, but I didn’t expect to hear from him after he departed at Melbourne to return to Tasmania," she said. "Three months he just rolled up on my doorstep in Sydney."

Geoff, who is best known as the local Division 2 councillor, and Trish soon married and set off for Wewak in Papua New Guinea where Geoff had been posted as a Patrol Officer with the Australian Administration.

For 27 years, they lived in New Guinea and it was here that Trish was in for some of her greatest adventures, particularly with the birth of their eight children which came in convenient - or is that inconvenient - bundles of a set of twins and a set of triplets as well as three singles.

"Everyone used to joke that it was because there was no television in New Guinea," she said. "Both the twins and triplets came as a great surprise as there are no multiple births on either side of the family."

There is many a tale to be told of the struggles and triumphs of giving birth and raising children in a remote outpost, particularly multiple births.

A cyclone hit while they were returning to their island home after the birth of the twins. A day-trip turned into five days and the basinettes had to be jammed against the bulkheads with pillows to stop them flying around the cabin. At one stage, they had to take shelter in the Conflict Islands.

When Trish was ready to leave Port Moresby with the triplets, Geoff rushed construction of an airstrip on Misima Island so that they could fly in.

Nevertheless, Trish continued to work as a primary school teacher in New Guinea for 16 years and still raised her family.

The Littlers left Papua New Guinea for Darwin where they spent two years before finally settling down in Palmwoods.

"I think it was a decision to get back to our roots as Geoff had always wanted to get back on the land. Palmwoods was as far south as we could stand as we didn’t want to live in a cold climate," Trish said. "We bought 10 acres and farmed avocadoes and custard apples. It was very busy on the farm, especially once Geoff was elected to council."

They are no longer farming and even with her family of eight children and 18 grandchildren scattered around the nation, Trish still finds very little spare time.

"There’s always something that has to be done and I like to be involved with the local community," she said.

Trish is a member of the Country Women’s Association, was the first President of the Zonta Club and has remained a member, and is a member of the Rotary based Inner Wheels Club of the Sunshine Coast. She was also actively involved in Maroochy Shire Council fundraising committee, the Mary Murray Welfare Committee.

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