Brian George Campbell

Ship name / Flight number: Asturias

Arrival Date: 7/04/1952

Brian Campbell was born in Liverpool in 1934.

He was educated locally at Longview Secondary school who provided a reference for his Adventures in Australia.

At 15 Brian was working for a famous department store in the centre of Liverpool called Coppers as a delivery boy.

They also supplied a reference for Brian as he made plans to go to Australia

Brian had always wanted to go to sea and explore the wider world. He was not able to enter the merchant navy so this opportunity in Australia seemed like a great option.

In 1952 he boarded the Ship SS. Asturias.

Arriving in Australia in March 1952 Brian was sent out west by train to Condoblin. He was met at the station by a worker from Mr Neil Le Strange’s property.

When he arrived he was shown a horse and told to get on. Brian had seen the large dray horses in Liverpool that worked for the brewery transporting beer around the city but had never been this close to a horse or ridden one.

He soon became very comfortable with horses and all aspects of the Jackaroo life. Making whips, farming sheep and cattle and living a life unimaginable in Liverpool

After a few years he struck out with a friend as a rabbiter. A self-employed pest control agent trying to keep the plagues of rabbits at bay on properties in the area.

When he settled at a property on the outskirts of Wagga Wagga he was now pretty adept at all forms of work on the land. Working on the “Big Springs” property also meant he could go to town and meet the locals.

Soon one of the locals became his wife.

Brian and Noelene got married in February 1956 at St Johns Church Wagga Wagga.

After the birth of their first son they decided to leave the outback and head for the coast where Noelene’s family were fishing and growing bananas.

Brian joined the family in Wooli near Grafton and got his wish of going to sea on the boats. After a few years he decided to build a boat for himself and set about constructing the “Castle Maine”

This new type of boat was designed to catch prawns and so the family now numbering 5 headed for Queensland.

Working his way up the coast he settled on the sunshine coast in Mooloolaba and after stopping going to sea he maintained other boats in the yard.

In later life Brian’s mother joined him and was able to experience some of the life that she had heard so much about. Also his brother and sister moved to Australia, so he started something in the family that would change its course forever.

In retirement he rekindled his love of cycling, something he had done when in the UK heading off from Liverpool into North Wales.

It’s hard to imagine what a life would have looked like for Brian in Liverpool but his life in Australia was one of amazing experiences and opportunity. He had three children and they married and produced seven grandchildren and one great grandchild. He had a fantastic life and was always sure to mention the part the Big Brother movement played in his life. One of his children relocated to the U.K. When Brian visited he reconnected with family in Liverpool who could still remember him growing up.

Brian died on the 31st January 2020 aged 85 years old.