Don Roulston Buzzard

14.0
74 Kintail Road, Applecross

Early in 1963, the family moved to 74 Kintail Road, Applecross in Perth. In comparison, the home in South Perth was very much larger than 74 Kintail Road but Don wanted the change. Don was still unwell at the time and Patrick and Philip were sent to Bindoon Boy’s Town, 56 miles north of Perth, as Don was not able to care for them.

Bindoon Boy’s Town was run as a farm by the Christian Brothers and Brian Senior, knew many of the brothers at the school. The farm was a client of Western Livestock.

But in the August of 1964 Don separated from Brian and went to work up to the north of Perth, in the Gascoyne and Kimberley regions.

However, she did not work long in those areas and went to Sydney in January 1965 where she worked as a private nurse for elderly patients. In the February of 1969, Don returned to W.A. for a time.

In the years when Don was away, Brian found it difficult to recruit a live-in housekeeper for the family until a Mrs Elsie Webber took on the daunting job of looking after the family. Mrs Webber, as she was known to the children, stayed with the family for over ten years saw all the children complete their high school education.

Don in the meantime travelled back and forth to Sydney, working in Sydney and Perth but finally settled in Perth around 1969.

Brian, although he said he still loved Don, said he couldn’t live with her again. He instituted divorce proceeding against Don and the divorce was made absolute on 3rd January 1969.

Brian divorces Don

Another tragedy struck the Buzzard family when on 19th March 1969, Patrick Millar died with a gunshot wound to the head. He was 17 years old at the time and died in Royal Perth Hospital. He was buried in the Karrakatta Cemetery, Perth. His grandmother and father were buried in the same plot some years later.

Patrick Millar buried in Karrakatta Cemetery

Don died at the St. Paul’s Nursing Home, Doongalla Road, Attadale, on 6th January 1986. The reason given for her death was Bronchopneumonia (4 days), Congestive cardiac failure (years), Ischaemic heart disease (years), (Contributory Cause) Myocardial infarction (August 1985). She was buried, with a small gathering of family and friends, at Karrakatta Cemetery Perth on 9th January 1986.

Don’s Final Resting Place Karrakatta Cemetery