Gary Templeman-Rooke

Ship name / Flight number: Stratheden

Arrival date: 13/03/1959

Gary arrived in 1959 on the Stratheden and after arrival was transferred to the Calmsley Hill City Farm .

The Calmsley Hill farm was purchased by the Big Brother Movement in 1947 and served as a reception, accommodation and training centre for almost 4000 lads. It was sold in 1972 in response to a significant decline in the numbers of farming applicants.

Calmsley Hill Farm is a special place for Gary. It is where he began his new life in Australia. “Since then a lot of water has passed under my personal bridge, some of those waters were wild and dark but as I approach my twilight years, I regret none of it, however I do hope that future generations do not have to bear the hardship previous generations went through to make Australia their home.”

Calmsley City Farm is a place of heritage for many young men who came with the Big Brother Movement and just arrived from overseas to experience their first adventure of Australian life. If you are interested in watching this YouTube documentary published by Gary in January 2018 please click here.

“I’ve traveled for the best part of 36 yrs.  After various jobs in the bush as a jackaroo, farm hand, hunter & as an air con installer in the city as well as a motor mechanic. I found my place as a service engineer of scientific, medical & diagnostic instruments for international companies . I settled down with Bio-Rad Labs. It was a  great company & I worked for them for about 22years. As I became more experienced I was given more responsibility and much more travel. I traveled the world to USA, China, Europe, Asia, NZ and every where around OZ as many as 30 trips a year in my last years. But living out of a suitcase took it’s toll. I managed to work until I was nearly 70years before retiring.”

Gary made following YouTube video about the Calmsley Hill City Farm here: Big Brother Movement on Calmsley Hill (youtube.com)