A life well lived
The Allora District was deeply affected by the passing of Lyn Wright on Tuesday 8th November.
As well as being a good friend to many locals, Lyn put her heart into making Allora a better place.
Lyn’s achievements since moving back to Allora in 2008 include: volunteer for the Allora Sports Club; volunteer with Allora Show Society; volunteer at Homestead Aged Care; played social bowls and was scribe for the Allora Advertiser for bowls notes; played tennis with Tuesday ladies; volunteer for the Allora RSL café; Secretary of the RSL Sub-branch Allora; Allora Historical Society member including terms as President, Vice President and assistant secretary; assistant research officer.
Lyn Wright was born in 1948 in the Clifton Hospital on Clifton Show Day, making her appearance on the day of a community event, the first born to Norman Newport and Aline Jean Newport (nee Ruscoe).
Growing up on a farm at Headington Hill, next door to her Grandfather’s family farm, which was named “Bundah”, with her two sibliings – brother Colin and sister Beverley.
All three went to Headington Hill Primary School before Lyn attended Grade 8 at Warwick High School, even though Boarding School was her dream.
She left school in grade 10 and worked at Deacon & Co. in Allora and boarded at Blanch’s house, which was the “Mary Poppins House”, and lived in P. L. Travers’ bedroom.
Lyn dreamed of becoming a nurse at Toowoomba Nursing College and completed two years at the College.
Then came a big decision between marriage and nursing, as in those days you couldn’t do both.
Meeting John at a Junior Farmers’ dance, they then married at St. David’s Anglican Church Allora on 25th May 1968, aged 20, before moving onto John’s family farm at Goomburra.
Lyn and John had three children, Karen, Andrew and Trish, who later produced four grandchildren and two beautiful great grandchildren, to Lyn’s delight.
After Goomburra, they bought a farm at Glengallan and a little house in Muir Street, Allora – John worked the farm and Lyn was happy to be close to her parents.
Glengallan farm was eventually sold and a new venture started, being a soft drink factory, Warwick Aerated Waters.
After the soft drink factory was sold the family moved to the Gold Coast.
Lyn joined local sports committees and school P&C, helping establish a new school in the area.
Seeing a need for netball grounds, Lyn and other mums rallied for courts to be built.
Lyn was President when the Runaway Bay Netball Club was established.
Then came more fund raising and council lobbying as a result of which land was granted to build the Broadwater Netball Association – today it’s known as the Runaway Bay Sports Precinct and includes cricket fields, indoor stadium touch football and Gold Coast Sports Performance Centre.
Once her children had all started high school, Lyn began working at their Real Estate business, initially as Bookkeeper then Property Manager to Sales Manager to eventually Licensee of North Keys Real Estate with daughter Karen and Husband John.
Lyn retired back to Allora and followed in her Mum Jean’s footsteps joining Allora Historical Society with Brother Colin.
They all had a passion for history, knowledge and information – keeping local and family history alive.
Lyn honoured her father Norman’s time during World War 2 as a prisoner of war, documenting and researching each soldier stories from his battalion, then publishing as a book ‘The Men Of The 2/26 Battalion’.
Lyn and her brother Colin researched those men from Allora killed in WW1 for another book called ‘Keeping Their Memory Alive’, and their unfinished work is the research on all the soldiers from Allora and Clifton who served in the Boar War.
One of Lyn’s biggest achievements was the 150 Years Allora celebration week, as President of the Historical Society.
The event was a huge success, putting a big media spotlight on Allora and attracting over 4,000 people to the town.
Allora benefited greatly from Lyn’s passion for community work.
She was involved with the Allora RSL, Allora Sports Club, Allora Tennis Club, Allora Show Society, Allora Homestead and of course the Allora Historical Society.
Lyn passed away on Tuesday 8th November and was cremated on Friday 11th November – Remembrance Day.
This article appeared in the Allora Advertiser, 7 December 2022.
