Wet cheerio for legend

WHEN BILL Parker died, the heavens opened.
Bill, who held the record for the longest serving rain gauge recorder in Victoria, collecting records for more than half a century, died on Friday from a suspected heart attack. He was 96.
Within hours of his death, it was raining “cats and dogs” across Victoria, causing the worst floods seen in decades.
Christened Genseric (after the king of the Vandals), the long time Gembrook resident was mercifully known as Bill from early in his childhood.
He was born in the town in 1914 and ended up living on a road named after him. That’s how you know you’re a local.
He married his sweetheart Lorna more than 66 years ago and they lived in Gembrook for the rest of their married lives.
Bill is survived by Lorna, his son John and daughters Beth, Judy and Wendy. Eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren round out the large family.
All four of Bill’s siblings lived into their 90s, suggesting a strong genetic stock in the Parker family.
Bill spent his working life on the land, growing potatoes, raising sheep and breeding cattle.
Because he was a farmer, Bill was initially refused enlistment in the army during World War II.
Having changed his occupation to ‘labourer’, Bill saw action in the Middle East as a commando. Paperwork caught up with him in 1944, when he was returned home to work in the “reserved” occupation of farming.
Bill was the living history of Gembrook. Thankfully, he recorded much of that history before he died.
In 1983, when the school celebrated its centenary, Bill’s wealth of knowledge was called upon to help put the pieces of Gembrook’s historical puzzle into place.
Over 10 years, he researched and wrote ‘Forest to Farming. Gembrook: An early history’.
The book was first published in 1995 and sold around $20,000 worth of copies. Bill was proud to say it had gone to every state except South Australia.
“I’ve never had one complaint that I got anything wrong,” he said in a 2003 interview.
Bill’s interest in history started as a young boy and he knew many of the local selectors.
“When I was at school, I was very interested in history and I used to talk to the old timers,” he said.
“Having a good memory helped a lot.”
A private family service will be held for Bill on Friday at the Anglican Church in Gembrook. A public memorial will be held at 2.30pm on the same day at the Gembrook Community Centre. All welcome.