Capturing memories

DON MULLEN HONOURED BY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

At the September 2017 meeting of the Bribie Island Historical Society, Don Mullen was our honoured guest as he shared his memories of Bribie Island.

L-R: Barry Clark, Anne Mullen, Don Mullen, Graham Mills
September 2017 BIHS meeting
Photo: Barry Clark

Don Mullen first came to Bribie as a small boy in 1937 when his grandparents had a cottage here. He continued to have memorable weekends and holidays on the Island, coming by steamship and catching loads of big fish, for many years. When he later graduated as a Pharmacist and married his nurse girlfriend Anne in 1960, he purchased the one small Pharmacy business on Bribie Island and set up shop in Toorbul Street.

Over the next 50 years Don moved the growing Pharmacy business to other locations in First Avenue and later to Benabrow Avenue, where with his business partners he developed new commercial premises. As well as being the only “go to” person on the Island for heath and emergency needs, he involved himself in  many community projects and committees as a willing volunteer. He served on the Volunteer Fire Brigade, Ambulance, ANZAC Committee, RSL sub-branch, State School P&C, Catholic Church, Caboolture Rotary, Meals on Wheels and developed the Bribie Island Golf Club. He was also invited to be Patron of Chamber of Commerce, RSL, Golden Age and the Bribie Island Golf Club…..and has served this community long and hard for so many years.

Founder of the Bribie Island Historical Society, Barry Clark, conducted a filmed interview with Don a few months ago to capture, first hand, Don's recollections of life on Bribie over the past 80 years or so.

This video recording was then edited by past President Graham Mills with the addition of several hundred old photos from the Historical Society Database collection, illustrating the subjects spoken about by Don during the interview.

Don Mullen was a guest at the Historical Society September 2017 meeting where the video was first screened to the public, to a large and appreciative audience of over 80 members and friends. The video recording runs for just over an hour and is available for showing to interested groups on request.

Society President Lynne Hooper paid tribute to all the work Don and Anne have done over so many years and invited them to speak and answer questions. Both Don and Anne are still very active in the community and have contributed much to the success of the Historical Society. The large crowd also paid tribute to Warwick Outram who died last week after more than 40 years, writing more than 50 books about Bribie Island history, and also contributing to many of the same organisations as Don. Warwick Outram was invited to be the inaugural Patron of the Historical Society and has left a lasting legacy of the rich history of the Island.

We are reminded of how much some of the long-term Island residents have contributed to the wonderful community facilities we enjoy here today.

The Historical Society plan to conduct further interviews and capture other peoples stories while they can, so please contact us on bribiehistoricalcociety@gmail.com if you would like to offer some information.