Bridport’s dynamic duo

• Bob and Pat Child have been active community members for many years.

By Tina Hutchings
February 03, 2021

It isn’t every day that the Advertiser’s own Town Treasures just happen to be celebrating their 42nd wedding anniversary on the day the paper comes out.

In the case of Bob and Pat Child, however, today is that day! 

Not only are the Childs celebrating the date as a couple, but we join them in celebrating their many combined achievements in the community over the years.

Entering the bright, airy space of their Bridport home, one gets the sense that life for the Childs has been busy, lively and with never a dull moment.

They are quite the double act, finishing each other’s sentences and chuckling together, with Mr Child punctuating his wife’s effervescent conversation, often with a twinkle in his eye, as they tell their story.

Pat Child was born in Launceston, while her husband was born in Victoria, moving to Tasmania with his family when he was about 15. 

“We came over at Christmas time, and I started at the high school when we moved to Scottsdale,” Mr Child said. 

“Then we got married.”

“Well, hang on,” Pat Child laughingly interrupts her husband. 

“A lot happened before that!”

Indeed. 

Between high school and getting married, Mr Child - who had completed five years in the Army Reserve - had been due to go to Vietnam.

“I didn’t go, though. My number had come up, I’d been conscripted, and I was called up. 

“So, I did 18 months training at Puckapunyal in Victoria, and we stayed in Puckapunyal all that time.”

Luckily, the Vietnam War ended before Mr Child had to go into active service, returning instead to Hobart, from where he was discharged.

Meanwhile, at Riverside, Pat had completed her teacher training. 

 “When I taught, I had two years on King Island, then I went overseas for 12 months with my cousin, as I’d saved up enough money. 

“We travelled around in a Kombi van and lived on a kibbutz for a little while, living cheaply.

“Then we went to the blood bank in Athens, to get some money to get back to London - they paid for the blood back then. 

“And it was all Australians in there giving blood!” she laughed.

“When I got back, I had two years at Riverside, but I wanted to go to the country.”

It may have been one of those ‘twist of fate’ moments when Pat took up a teaching position in Scottsdale.

She’d had her eye on moving to the North-West of Tasmania when she was offered a position in the North-East instead. 

“I came to Scottsdale teaching, and I met Bob the first week, at the Rotoract Club. 

“I played hard to get for a while,” she laughs.

Obviously, the tactic worked!

Mrs Child goes on to reminisce, “When we first got married, we had the bus service between Bridport and Scottsdale, for about eight and a half years. 

“During that time, we had four kids. 

“As well as running the bus service, Bob also had the mail contract and so became the postman too.”

“Yes, I drove the bus and did the mail run too,” says Mr Child, who was obviously very well-known throughout the town.

“When our first son was born, we got about 165 ‘Congratulations’ cards!” 

They both laugh at the memory.  

“I even took Pat up to the hospital on the bus to have the baby,” Mr Child tells me. 

“Oh yes, I think probably with three of the kids I caught the bus to Scottsdale.

“I think the other passengers were getting a bit nervous when I said my contractions were only a couple of minutes apart, though!”

“I dropped her off at the hospital, finished the run and came back later,” Mr Child laughs.

“Eventually, we decided we’d sell the business and go around Australia, with the children, with a 4WD and caravan, for 15 months,” Mrs Child continues. 

“After we came back, we bought a plasterboard business, and I was doing relief teaching too. Then Bob got a job at the Simplot factory. He also went out on the grapes and the potatoes.”

Despite being so busy, it seems the Childs were always able to make time for others.

“Oh yes, ever since we’ve been here, we’ve been in those community groups, the Lions, Probus, and so on,” Mrs Child said.

Most notably, Pat won the 2003 Dorset Australia Day citizen of the year award for her contributions.

Bob himself remains active in the community, and belongs to the Lions, the RSL, and the Men’s Shed. 

He has also been known to don a Santa suit for the festive season.

“Yes, I’m still the local Santa,” he confirms.

Based in Bridport for 40 years now, the Childs have seen the place change quite considerably over the years.

“When we first came to the area, there were just about 1000 people here,” Pat Child explains. “We do travel a bit but it’s always nice to come home to Bridport.”

The Childs’ children have also been active in the community, from doing the winter swim at the Gorge for charity to cycling from Launceston to Hobart, all for a good cause.

Service to others is a value that has flowed down to their children, and now even to their grandchildren.

“We’ve brought them up to volunteer and help other people, and it’s really nice now to see them doing it themselves, off their own bat,” says Mrs Child. 

“Our little granddaughter Kadence, who had beautiful hair, just before Christmas decided she wanted to cut it off and give it to the cancer kids.

“I had visions of them cutting it all off and her bursting into tears.”

And did she?

“No way!” Bob chimes in. 

“It was her mother and sister that cried. She was too busy talking!”

It is certainly encouraging to know that the values embodied by Bob and Pat are already evident in the next generation and will be seen in the community for years to come.