Lawrance Severin
Lawrance Reginald Severin, born 19th June 1937 at Coleraine, a small private hospital in Beaufort Street Katanning. The first son of Reginald and Lilian Severin. His parents were farming folk with pioneering backgrounds from around the district. The family owned “Brocklesby“, a farm 20km north of Katanning. With no school nearby nor school buses, at age six Lawrance boarded with a church family in Katanning so that he could attend school. He would come home to the farm on weekends.
Lawrance gained a sister, Beryl, in 1940, and brothers Ken in 1943, Alan in 1946, and Murray in 1948. Thankfully school buses came along. Lawrance finished his education at aged 14 at a residential farm school near Broomehill called Shiloh Farm School at “Langwell.” He then returned to Brocklesby working on the home farm and around Woodanilling. In 1962 he bought land east of Nyabing off the Dumbleyung-Nyabing road which he named ‘Hill & Dale’. After 4 years years there, he moved closer to Katanning, purchasing a farm 8km from town on the Withers Road, naming it ‘Homebush’.
Around this time there were great social activities between the youth groups of the various churches. There was one particular lady who caught his eye when she spoke at a youth rally at Woodanilling Baptist Church. She had moved from Melbourne to take up a job at Marribank Mission, caring for Aboriginal Children. Her name was Miss Wilma Griffiths. After a short courtship, they married on January 28th, 1967, on a hot 40-degree day at Blackburn North Baptist Church. Imagine Lawrance arriving in Melbourne with hay bale string wrapped around his suitcase, holding it together. They honeymooned in Tasmania, then back to Homebush to begin married life.
Nine months later, Greg arrived – a honeymoon baby. The proud parents enjoyed attending the Katanning Baptist Church in Carew Street and involving themselves in various community groups. In 1969, Lynn was welcomed into the world and in 1972, Nyree arrived. For a brief time, Lawrance and Wilma also fostered an Aboriginal Boy also named Greg. He was known as Little Greg.
Lawrance was a hard worker, farming predominantly merino sheep and cereal grains. Wilma and Lawrance were very hospitable people with everybody welcome in their home. Lawrance involved himself with many organisations over the years including Katanning Agricultural Society, Katanning Historical Society, Katanning Miniature Railway, Machinery Restoration Group and the Royal Flying Doctors Service Fund Raising Committee.
In 2020, he was awarded Katanning Senior Citizen of the Year for his tireless volunteering. Amongst the hard work and busy life, Lawrance enjoyed many weekends away and holidays with family, friends and the greater church family. Easter weekends caravaning with friends, summer holidays in Bremer Bay, weekends in Mandurah. There were international trips to Singapore, Bali, Penang and New Zealand. Road trips across the Nullarbor, around Australia and up through the centre, along with a couple of cruises in the South Pacific. In later years, he and Wilma loved their annual caravan trips to Carnarvon.
In 1987, with the sale of Homebush, Lawrance and Wilma moved to town, purchasing a house at 12 Hill Way. A keen gardener he won many prizes at the annual Katanning Show for his vegetables and flowers. A newfound interest in bee keeping and lawn bowls also kept him busy and active in his retirement.
In 2002, Lawrence and the family welcomed Pete and Chloe into the family when Lynn and Pete were married. His granddaughter Aimee arrived in June 2003, followed by Kate, exactly 18 months later in December 2004. They were his pride and joy. Then in 2008, Adam was welcomed into the family as Greg’s partner.
A quiet achiever, Lawrance rarely sat still for long. Always busy in a garden somewhere, visiting friends and family or continuing to do volunteer work.
Challenges came in recent times with Wilma diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and moving to Bethshan Aged Care. Lawrance continued to live in his ‘castle’ at Hill Way until recently. He passed away aged 87, at the Katanning Hospital after a short illness on the 18th of August 2024.