VALE – Leon BURVILL

He was commonly known as Digger Burvill, a nickname that stuck from an early age and remained throughout his entire life.

Born in Ballarat in 1938, he was the fifth child of Frederick and Katherine Burvill, and lived on the Yaloak Vale estate opposite Fiskville, just south of Ballan, until he was around 17-years of age.

Everyone has a story and Leon had many, including how he was given the nickname Digger.

During WWII, army reserve soldiers were based at Fiskville guarding the overseas telecommunication station, they frequently visited the Burvill family home where one of these men nicknamed a little boy sitting on a fencepost by placing a slouch hat on his head and, calling him “Digger”.

His education began at the Fiskville school from age six and continued until he completed Grade 8, aged 13. He often joked about graduating from ‘Fiskville High’.

After leaving school, he started work on the Yaloak Vale estate farm, a property that consisted of 12,000 acres and was owned by the Miller Brothers. He worked 60 hours a week and was paid £2 7,6 of which he paid £1, 10 board.

His work on the farm consisted of milking three cows’ morning and night, in those days, by hand. There were also 2000 ewes to be looked after, boundary riding on horses and many other farm duties which he carried out for about three years.

The family moved into Ballan when Leon was about 17. He then started working in the Fiskville OTC workshop making communication transmitters for the start of the Melbourne 1956 Olympic Games.

He took over the role as maintenance officer when Joe Devlin retired and remained at that position for 5-6 years. He travelled daily for 15-years after that to the OTC Melbourne office. When that closed he was offered two positions interstate. He declined the offer as the family had grown with four children at foot, and the towns in NSW and SA offered limited schooling.

He exchanged vows with the love of his life Pat Mullane on the 11 April 1959, meeting at the Ballan pictures. Conveniently the car Pat was driving, an old Wolsley, had broken down. Pat knew Leon was very handy at fixing things and managed to get the car started.  The rest they say, is history.

Along with his sister Dos (Hodge), they purchased the tourist café in main street Ballan, which they ran for three years. Their fifth child Vince arrived during this time, a brother for Helen, Brian, Joan and Fiona.

Whilst working in the café, Leon also worked doing maintenance at the Ballan Shire Council. He started his own business doing home maintenance and painting and in 1982 formed his own business, employing his youngest son Vince, as an apprentice carpenter. Leon became a registered builder in 1988 however, ceased work in the year 2000, due to ill health.

To read the full story – Simply click on the following link

https://issuu.com/themooraboolnews/docs/mn_2022-03-22/13

in the 22 March 2022 edition
OR
pick up a paper around your town.