KEVIN ‘Plucky’ Plucknett, who died last month, lived for all of his 86 years in Maleny. An only child, he grew up on his parents’ dairy farm on the corner of Reesville Road and Kings Lane and walked barefoot to school – a distance of almost four kms. In his teenage and youthful 20s he represented Maleny in A-Grade tennis and cricket and also played an excellent game of badminton.
He joined one of the early Maleny Apex Clubs and helped to organise a chartered Fokker Friendship flight to Longreach to visit other Apex Clubs in Western Queensland.
In the 1970s Kevin realised that although Maleny was rich in red volcanic soil, there was a deficit and room for improvement and approached the local CSIRO station for help. His timing was fortunate as an agricultural scientist had just joined the team and his particular interest was in clover trials to improve pastures. So for many years there were fenced off plots of land on the farm. At his recent funeral the main photo of Kevin was taken in 1988 by a rural newspaper to accompany an article on his association with the CSIRO.
Prior to 1978, when his parents retired from farming, Kevin would often work between milking times, at different jobs. He also spent any spare time he had in helping organise and build the showground main cattle pavilion and other improvements to the showgrounds. In the late 60s he was quite innovative and built the first grass tennis court and first brick house in Maleny.
But it was when he took over the farm from his parents that his foresight really became apparent.
Seeing the need to switch from the cream rich Jersey cow to a larger milk yield animal, he switched to the Holsteiun Friesian breed and proudly erected his sign ‘Morven Friesian Stud’ to the front gate of the property.
In early 1990 on selling the farm, he shifted his local agricultural knoweldge to the newly-owned Erowal Retirement Village where he worked as a gardener and maintenance officer until retirement in 2001.
Management quickly recognised his skills and local knowledge and gave him carte blanche to create the magnificiant gardens that flourish thre today.
His widow, Lisa, recently received a card from Eroiwal that read “The residents of today are enjoying the fruits of Kevin’s labours years ago..”
He also found time to join the local Lions Club where he served a term as president.
On retirement he was able to indulge in some of his other passions, creating a colourful home garden of 75 camellias and magnolias etc, which he twice opened for display in the local garden clubs, ‘Gardening on the Edge’ expo.
He was also able to acquire a model train village and helped to found the Maleny Train Buffs Club in 2005. He and wife Lisa enjoyed many train trips including The Ghan, Indian Pacific, Canadian Rocky Mountaineer and of course, the local Gympie Rattler.
In his closing weeks of life in the palliative care rooms at Maleny Hospital, he, Lisa and the CMO, Dr Kris McQuaid discussed the need for a colourful flower garden to enhance the lives of the patients in those rooms. Plans are already underway, funded by Kevin and Lisa.
TO KEVIN WITH LOVE
By Lisa Plucknett
You are the sunshine of my life,
you are my evening star.
I’d like to catch your every dream and place them in a jar.
There’s a gentleness about you, an aura, if you like;
I do songs and poems about you, when I’m on a morning hike.
And I’m giving you this ribbon, it’s purple; you’re the best.
You fill my world with energy, with loving and with zest.
And at out ripe age we
have to know
each day’s a special one.
So thank you for these years of love, our life has just begun.
From your loving wife.
I will love you for ‘heifer and heifer’