Ian Patrick has spent his married life between Werribee and Darwin, last settling down here in 1984 for good. Now retired, he spends his days painting, fishing and watching cricket. He chats with Charlene Macaulay.
What’s your connection to Wyndham?
We built that house across the road in 1973. We’d been living in Darwin and we came home just before the cyclone (Tracy). Coral’s family were from Werribee. Then I sold that in 1982, went back to Darwin, and then come back here in 1984 and built this place. Then I started a plumbing business here.
I can remember we used to have stickers we’d put on our cars that would say: “Werribee: the country suburb.” That’s what it was like.
How did you and Coral meet?
I was in the navy, and I’d just come back from Vietnam … and I used to go back to the barracks with my brother, on the grog, and we’d have parties and stuff like that. We used to ring up the nurses from Fairfield Hospital and get them to come over by bus and go to the dances. That’s how we met – at one of the dances. I was the only navy guy amongst all the army guys there and she was a nurse … she swept me off my feet. [We’ve been] married 49 years this year.
Coral: I’m the cougar – I’m six years older! You can’t tell, though. We have three kids, seven grandkids.
What are your hobbies?
I’m a painter. I do it for therapy. I exhibit at the veteran’s art show every year at Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital. I’ve exhibited at a mental health place in Richmond. I’m a life member of the Werribee Cricket Club, I played cricket there for years, and I’m president of the western suburbs Totally & Permanently Incapacitated Ex-Servicemen & Women’s Association.
Where’s your favourite Wyndham eatery?
We go to the Italian Social Club and my daughter loves Chatterbox.
If there was something you could change about Wyndham, what would it be?
The traffic conditions – it’s terrible, the amount of traffic. They build all the houses, but they don’t put the infrastructure in place.
Also, we don’t look after our river enough. It’s a great asset.
