They say you have made it when the world knows you by one name; Jordan, Cher, Rory etc. When the world knows you with a Mr, Mrs or Miss before you’re last name it is sign of enormous respect.
This occurs in communities where these people are known for the selfless work they do and impact on those, they come into contact with. Bev Swaffield was one such person, he was always Mr Swaffield to me because of the respect I had for him.
However, he is as equally as well known by another pseudonym; Mr Hockey.
The sport was played in Mount Isa’s early days and was popular with the ladies in the 30s for a number of years before tailing off. So when Bev and wife Verena arrived in Mount Isa in 1954 there was not a Hockey stick in sight.
Bev and Verena were married in March of that year in Townsville and honeymooned on Magnetic Island for a few days.
When Verena became pregnant she suffered severe morning sickness which saw them come to Mount Isa so she could be closer to her mother and have support.
Bev said he was smitten with Verena from the moment he saw her and was an enthusiastic spectator when she played Netball. Tennis and Hockey.
Originally a Mackay boy, Bev was born on 15 July 1930, the oldest of four. His arrival coincided with the Great Depression and both his parents rode push bikes around to save money.
His father fashioned a seat on his bike’s bar for Bev and also put one on his mothers so she could take him to her Tennis games. The families Model T Ford was parked under the house and only driven every second weekend.
Driving past the corner of Urquhart Street and Finschhafen Street in Mount Isa you could always see the vegetable garden Bev tended. This harked back to those depression days when his father grew their own vegies and the family had their own chickens.
Bev’s mother had a love of music and the family would gather around her piano for sing-a-longs. She transferred this love to her son, who could hold a decent tune and had a great love of music and musicals.
During his early days in Mount Isa Bev had roles in a number of local musicals. In South Pacific he was required to utilise one of his many talents and do a handstand across the stage.
It was fitting he played a part in this musical based upon the war in the pacific because that war was a big part of his life. His grandparents lived in Yeppoon and he remembers watching the troop trains pass and the diggers throwing pennies to the children.
In Grade 4 the family was evacuated from Mackay and went inland to stay at his uncle’s cattle station near Dululu, Central Queensland. He continued his education via correspondence until they were reunited with his father in Townsville.
Bev’s father had been transferred to Townsville to coordinate the distribution of aviation fuels to the Australian and American Air Forces; just as the Japanese began their raids on the city.
He often accompanied his father to the airfields and got up close and personal with the various aircrafts and crew. One unforgettable highlight that started a lifelong fascination with planes was a ride with his father in Sir Charles Kingsford Smith’s Southern Cross.
Sir Charles Kingsford Smith’s Southern Cross.
He and his mates would often ride behind the wartime aircraft that taxied through Townsville streets with men perched on the wings.
He completed his schooling in Townsville and was known to his mates as ‘Doc.” His mother liked to dress him in white and when another mother said, “here comes Dr Swaffield” his mates quickly pounced.
He first job was on the railways but his grandmother, who washed his clothes, told his parents he needed a cleaner one. So he began an apprenticeship with George Lear Joinery and worked in the woodworking industry for the next 46 years.
His first investment was a 1931 Willys Overland Whippet utility that was retired from life as a milk and fruit delivery truck. It was great for camping with roll down sides and Bev and his mates travelled anywhere from the tablelands to Rockhampton chasing adventure.
He began with Mount Isa Mines as a carpenter in 1955 and retired 37 years later in 1992. During those years he mentored many apprentices and was involved in constructing Rodeo floats and whatever craft Santa arrived to the Annual MIM Christmas Tree in.
When the North Queensland Games were held in Mount Isa in 1986 Bev achieved much praise for its special float. He used his carpentry skills to build it around a Mini Moke car so it could be manoeuvred around the street and oval.
While attending Townsville State High School Bev got his first taste of Hockey when a teacher started a team. It became a passion for him and Verena and they were rewarded for pouring their heart and soul into it with lifelong friendships and unforgettable memories.
Ivan Barton represented Queensland in 1956 and arrived in Mount Isa the following year. His former teammate at Queensland University Ian Johnson was already in town and they had the thought of trying to get a local comp going.
They were soon joined by Bev and an Association was formed with Johnson the inaugural president. The response was positive and further meetings were held where teams were adopted and a constitution formed.
Barton was not only the inaugural secretary/treasurer but also instrumental in introducing hockey into the State High School. It was however Verena who led the first representative Mount Isa team (a schoolgirls team) to a state championships in 1959.
In those formative years Verena coached the high school girls and Pirates but has also coached Aces and Hornets to help increase the strength of the sport. Many players had never played before, but skills were quickly learned.
Bev and Verena formed Pirates and early rivals were clubs like Bantams, Rocs, and Tigers. It was Pirates, captained by Bev, that won the first premiership with future stalwarts such as Kevin Hammond, Bill McQuade and Mel Gamer in the side.
Mary Kathleen joined the following year and when Pirates men travelled to the town to play their women’s team came along. An English lady was living at Mary Kathleen and she rallied the young ladies of the town to play the Pirates ladies.
It wasn’t long before Tigers and Rocs fielded women’s teams and a High School side as well.
Games were held at Wellington Oval and Mount Isa hosted two Northern Territory teams over Easter 1959 with Bev the number one side’s vice captain.
Bev was also in the first Mount Isa men’s side to attend a Queensland Championships in 1960.
He was prouder still when word reached the side that the Mount Isa ladies’ team, that Verena managed, had won the Queensland Championships at their first attempt.
The team was led by Australian player Dell Parkyn who was named Queensland captain when the side was announced.
Dell was a Queensland representative from 1955-1957, 1959-1964 and captain in 1960, 1963-1964. She was Queensland Team Manager from 1970-1975 and a Queensland selector from 1975 - 1994 as well as holding a range of Board of Management and Sub-Committee positions from 1978-1998.
In 1997 Dell received Life Membership of Queensland Women’s Hockey Association and in 2003 was inducted into the Hockey Queensland Hall of Fame. In 2019 Dell received a Member of the Order of Australia Award (AM) for her ‘significant service to hockey’.
Dell Parkin in 2019
Hockey transferred to Alexander Oval, which at the time was dirt, and Bev used to take jam tins full of chalk down to mark out the fields.
By this time their first son Kevin had been joined by Jeffrey and the little tackers took their first steps on a Hockey field. Verena was a no-nonsense presence in the lives of young girls and many obtained representative honours because of it.
She herself was a Queensland Hockey Umpire and from 1963 was a Queensland Secondary Schoolgirls selector for nearly a decade and vice-president of Queensland Women’s Hockey.
Pirates enjoyed staggering success on the field but Bev and Verena’s influence extended far beyond Premiership glory. They worked hard to create opportunities for players of all ages and were committed to developing junior players and providing them with a representative pathway.
Bev devoted countless hours to coaching, organising representative trips and mentoring young players; leaving a legacy that extended far beyond the Hockey field.
Life Members of Pirates Hockey Club and Mount Isa Hockey Association Bev also served as President for many years. In 1982 he, Bob Young and Bob Leslie began work on the Associations own grounds and in 1989 the Sunset Hockey Complex was opened.
Bev received the Distinguished Service Award from Queensland Hockey in 1985, beaten by Verena who received hers in 1972.
The same year Bev received his Distinguished Service Award he was selected in the Queensland Veterans’ team. Kevin and Jeff both played Hockey and Kevin became the first Mount Isa player to make a Queensland side.
While extremely proud of his father’s achievement Kevin was quick to point out it took him only 15 years but Bev 55 to make a Queensland side. Bev represented Queensland veterans three times, the same number of times Kevin did.
Bev was always active and as a youngster competed in running races, high jump and broad jump. Kevin and Jeff followed suit with both attending Athletic Championships and known for their speed.
Kevin added Rugby League, Touch and Squash to his portfolio while Jeff was a more than handy Baseballer.
When Bev retired he and Verena moved to the Sunshine Coast. Bev was fit as a fiddle and never lost his love of being active but a dodgy knee prevented a return to Hockey.
From their dream house on the canal at Wurtulla he would watch the morning paddlers glide past his house. So he joined the Maroochy River Canoe Club to enjoy a leisurely paddle.
His family knew better and Bev was soon paddling both TK1 and TK2 events in the Queensland Marathon Canoeing Championships, the World Masters Marathon Championships, the Asia Pacific Masters Games, and tackling the mighty Murray River.
In 2014 Bev and Verena celebrated 60 years of marriage and received a letter of congratulations from the Queen. That smitten young teenager who met his future wife on a Hockey field had become a devoted husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather and just before he passed great-great grandfather.
Verena never played in Mount Isa but she influenced young ladies through Hockey and the Girl guides. On a trip to Mount Isa the Governor-General had dinner with Bev and Verena when she was the NW QLD Commissioner of Girl Guides.
As the years went by and Verena could not be as active as she liked she turned to the art of cross stitching. When seen from a distance they look like paintings and she even won an award for one of her works.
Bev’s favourite was one were a little girl wearing red and a boy in blue are sharing a swing in a snowy forest as he looks into her eyes. Maybe it reminded him of their early courting days.
When Verena became ill Bev became her primary carer and his patience, kindness and love was admired by all who witnessed his devotion. He never complained and never wavered, even when she gave him reasons to.
When Verena had to move into a nursing home he would visit twice a day, bringing flowers every time, even if it was just a little daisy from the lawn.
She would give him jobs to do so that he would stay past the 7pm visiting times at the nursing home. When he arrived in the morning, she would apologise for being so grumpy when he had to leave the evening before.
After 65 years together Bev’s soulmate passed away from cancer.
He knew Verena would have wanted him to keep living, and that's exactly what he did. At an age when most slow down, Bev seemed to find another gear.
The friends you make in Mount Isa become friends for life and Bev had not only raised his sons with Verena in Mount Isa but impacted a wide community.
The messages received by the family since his passing are testament to the extraordinary man he was and the lives he touched.
Some of those messages came from people he had coached or mentored more than 60 years ago. They still remembered the encouragement, kindness and belief he showed them.
Few people leave that kind of legacy and he accomplished it by just being himself.
His love of Mount Isa stayed with him and he regularly attended Mount Isa reunions on the Sunshine coast, Brisbane and in Townsville.
He drove all over Queensland to visit family and friends with each trip featuring detours to call in on just about every Long-Life Friend, former Mount Isa resident, family friend or distant relative.
He was never alone because in the passenger seat was a dummy dressed like him with a hat, sunglasses and seat belt on. He said it made him feel safer but he was never averse to swapping his buddy for the real thing.
When he was nearly 90 he flew to Tasmania for a friend's 90th birthday and hired a car to tour Tasmania as well as attending the shindig.
His love of music and musicals never waned, and he used to buy two tickets. He then found a target and used charm, persuasion or gentle pressure to get them to accompany him.
He had a wonderful knack for making friends wherever he went with a great example being a simple flight to Townsville. He struck up a conversation with the young lady beside him and showed her some photos of the QANTAS plane his uncle flew and Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith’s plane that he had flown in.
She was so impressed she called the flight attendant over to meet him and when the plane landed he was asked to remain in his seat. When all the passengers were off he was invited into the cockpit for a chat with the pilots.
A slightly worried Jeff was waiting and when Bev finally emerged he convinced his son to give the young lady a lift from the airport to the Magnetic Island ferry.
His trophies, titles and achievement did not define him but rather the person who put you at ease and made you feel valued did. When he talked to you, you knew he was doing so because he was interested in you and always found something positive to say.
He was a true gentleman in every sense of the word —kind, humble, genuine and generous with both his time and his heart.
While he was known as “Mr Hockey” in Mount Isa he was born Beverley Hugh Swaffield.
For most of us whose lives he touched he will always be, “Mr Swaffield.”
