My Wyndham: Lindsay Ison is a lifelong Werribee resident, and the W. Ison Reserve was named after his ancestor, who was one of the first Europeans to settle in the area. Mr Ison is also president of the City Raiders Softball Club. He chats with Alesha Capone.
Tell me about your connection to Werribee.
I’ve lived in Werribee all my life. I was born at the old Wandeen Hospital, which is where Maccas is now, in Synnot Street.
Has the area changed a lot over the years?
Yes, the area has changed a lot. It’s a lot bigger and there are a lot more houses. All through here (near where W. Ison Reserve is located today), when I was a kid we used to play football out in the paddocks. As long as you were home before dark, you were alright.
I remember, as a kid – where Ford is, near the Racecourse Hotel – herding a mob of 200 to 300 sheep down over the ford to the shearing shed. I can’t imagine doing that these days. That was one of my favourite haunts as a kid, the shearing shed – I got along pretty well with the people who worked there.
That’s also how I learned to drive – the shearers would leave their car in a paddock and I’d have to go back and get it, to drive back.
What do you like most about the area?
I always say that I’d move out of the place, but I haven’t found anywhere better. I’ve got too many memories here, if I moved I would have to start over again. I reckon the area’s pretty good really.
I hear you’re also a big fan of the recent upgrades which Wyndham council has made to W. Ison Reserve?
That’s one thing, now they’ve done it up like this, it’s quite enjoyable. My grandkids love it.
How did you meet your wife?
My wife Jeanine and I have been married for 44 years. I worked with her father at the milk factory, which was right opposite where the shire offices are. Jeanine used to live over the back here.
Her father didn’t drive and he would ride his bike to work at 4am in the morning. I’d sometimes drive him home. I also used to coach her brother in football.
You were quite involved in local sport?
As a junior, I played with Glen Devon under-16s and played with Werribee and the Werribee Centrals. I was team manager for Werribee Football Club for nearly 10 years, when they won their premiership.
What do you enjoy about that?
It was just everybody you met and the friends you made, they were great. I even coached cricket. Then I gave it all up to follow my daughter, Felicity, who played softball.
I ended up president of the club where she played, the City Raiders who play at President’s Park.
Now I’m back there again as president. It happened when I ended up going to one of their meetings and got dobbed in.
