From scenic flights to ski slopes
• June Bratt with one of her porcelain painted vases.
By Daisy Baker,
August 21, 2022
Bridport’s June Bratt has led an eventful 91 years, trailing from coast to coast and trying her hand at many sports and creative pursuits.
She was born on King Island in 1931, with a twin brother and four older brothers.
They spent their early life at Egg Lagoon, a few paddocks away from what would later become the famous Cape Wickham Golf Links.
“There were no buses or anything on King Island then,” Mrs Bratt recalled.
“I had to ride a horse to school, behind my brother.
“The boys always used to race and one day they dropped me off on the concrete bridge.
“I had a great big lump on my head but they took me to school anyway.”
When she was 10, her family relocated to West Launceston to a house on Basin Road.
A young Mrs Bratt enjoyed visiting the Basin in her spare time, where she taught herself
to swim.
As a student at West Launceston Primary she toured around the state entertaining people as part of the choir.
Mrs Bratt continued her studies at Launceston High School with the girls, while her male peers went to the Launceston Technical High School.
She has fond memories of her years spent working in the Commercial Bank.
“I used to walk along the tellers and collect whatever came in, the credits and so forth.
“The called me ‘Breezy’ in the end because I whizzed up and down,” she laughed.
Mrs Bratt met her husband John at a dancing class at the Carlisle in Charles Street in Launceston when she was 24.
“He didn’t have a partner and neither did I. Dancing put us together,” she said.
The pair continued their courtship before marrying in 1956 and moving to Trevallyn.
Mr Bratt was a builder by trade, working on big projects for the community including the Riverside Pool and the Riverside Tennis Club.
His involvement in these projects prompted Mrs Bratt to take up both sports.
She said her husband’s passion for flying took them around the world.
“He was an aircraft engineer in Launceston. He never ever had an accident,” she said.
“He’s got an aerobatic plane and he used to do aeros here to entertain everyone.
“He didn’t drink or smoke, his money went on aeroplanes and he took me everywhere around the world to visit the Concordes, to see all the new inventions.
“We went to England, Ireland, Scotland, Canada – if there was a Concorde there, we would go.”
Together the Bratts had two sons, Derek and Kim.
Derek was tragically killed in a car accident at just 20 years old.
Mr Bratt built the family’s Bridport holiday home around 50 years ago when the boys
were young.
The house was initially one storey but they later added another floor, offering amazing views of the bay, which the pair would later enjoy daily when they relocated to Bridport permanently.
Painting has been one of Mrs Bratt’s major hobbies, in particular porcelain painting which she learned as a dedicated member of the Max Fry Hall.
She was central to organising their craft shows, often exhibiting her own intricately painted cups, saucers, plates and vases.
“I’m a life member of the Max Fry Hall. They still write to me,” she said proudly.
Mrs Bratt took up skiing when her son Kim was working as the boss at Ben Lomond.
She worked in the kiosk and when she had time off, she would hit the slopes.
“It was lovely. I met nice people up there and it was good exercise,” she said.
“That’s why I’m still fit I suppose.”
Her love of skiing later took her to Utah, and to New South Wales’ famed Thredbo and Perisher ski resorts.
The Bratts moved to Bridport permanently around seven
years ago.
Since relocating, Mrs Bratt has been an active member of the community, volunteering as a Red Cross driver for a few years, attending many social groups and enjoying regular ocean swims in the summer with a group of senior ladies.
After playing golf for some time, last year she took up croquet, at which she said she gets thrilling wins now and again.
Mrs Bratt visits her husband nearly every day, where he now lives at Aminya.
She said she looks forward to her nightly calls from Manly, from her son Kim.
• A young June Bratt (right), with family friend Andrea Wathen at Ben Lomond.