John von Sturmer A Man for all Seasons

You grew up in Bandjalang country in the Northern Rivers of NSW?

I was born in Lismore and lived there till I was twelve. I thought I was going to be there forever but then we moved to Kyogle because my father became the manager of the Norco butter factory. I loved it, and I was popular, for no good reason. We then moved to Byron Bay.

In Lismore, the big event in 1954 was the flood, straight on the heels of the Queen’s visit. She stayed at the Gollan Hotel, which had a balcony, so she could wave to the crowd. The next day we were all lined up in our cub outfits like a corridor of bodies leading up to the hospital so the Queen could visit the old people in their beds. Suddenly the rain came down. You’ve never seen anything like it. It was a total deluge.