Max Ackland OBE*

Max and daughter-in-law Barb September 2008.

Peter's Dad's life stretched eight decades and Peter will attempt to give a summary of Max's life using the decades as sections to his story.

Max was the first child born to Olga and Bob Ackland, born 13 November 1928 in Narrogin, Western Australia. Famous birthdays on this date over the past centuries are Saint Augustine (354), Richard Baxter (Puritan theologian and pastor, 1615), and Robert Louis Stevenson (Scottish novelist and poet, 1850) so he is in good company.

The family of Bob and Olga was forced to move to Tammin, to the south (1930) and it was there that they weathered the worst of the Great Depression. Max's father would shoot rabbits to supply meat for the table.

Max would walk to a nearby farm each morning and return with milk for the family. On one occasion, an older boy showed him how to swing the milk bucket quickly over the head and not spill a drop. When Max tried, he did not have the speed or the power to create the centripetal force required, and the milk was lost. It was hard for Max when he returned home that day.

In 1938 the family moved to Kalgoorlie for one year. By this time Olga and Bob had a daughter and three more sons (Shirley, John and Colin). Bob was then given the opportunity to move to the other side of Australia to increase his employer's sales in Townsville, North Queensland.

So began the second decade for young Max, one what would establish his future career as a pharmacist. He and his family joined their father in Townsville, travelling by ship the whole way (1939) and they settled in North Ward, the suburb between Castle Hill and the seashore. Max and his siblings were enrolled at the Central State School located nearby. Brothers Kelvin and Geoffrey were added to the family at that time.

We had the good fortune to discover pieces of Max's childhood in a book by Marion Houldsworth, The Morning Side of the Hill (pub. 1995). She wrote of her childhood experience in Townsville during the war years and some of her descriptions of Max are quoted as follows:

"As we were leaving along the (school) veranda, a bare-footed boy came out holding a school bell by its clapper so that it would not ring prematurely. It was the same boy who had been trying to launch the canoe at the swimming enclosure. With great dramatic timing he began to ring the bell just as we were going down the steps, putting his whole heart and soul into the task so the his shoulder seemed about to come off." (That was Max around his 11th birthday)

"The Acklands believed that life was made not only for cheerfulness but for adventure."

"One of the (American) sailors drew out a thick roll of money from his pocket, studied it for a moment, made a laughing comment to the others, then flicked out a red ten shilling note. Sauntering over, he asked Max Ackland if there was 'someplace handy' where he could run and buy them some 'soda'. Coat's Store wasn't all that close, it was two blocks from the beach, but Max and John (his brother), set off, sand spurting from beneath their feet. The sailors had also asked Max and John to get some ice-creams. When the boys returned, faces read with heat, they held the ice-creams like relay batons, melting over their wrists. The Americans laughed when Max went to return the sticky change. 'Keep it, Sonny. Have yourself a soda!' Max hesitated. Nearly six shillings was a huge amount, nearly a day's pay for an Australian soldier, but the sailors had already lost interest." (early 1942, Max at 13 years)

"Well before we reached it (the base of Castle Hill), we were thigh deep in spear-grass. The matted clusters of seeds latched onto our clothes. 'Don't let them get near your eyes,' warned Max, 'The minute they're wet they start burrowing. They dig themselves right in.' It was true. He spat on the palm of his hand and showed us." (Max as a nature scientist, 1942)

We are grateful for Marion's memories of Max in those years. They are precious.

There was a critical period at the start of 1942 when the Queensland Government did not allow any school to recommence that year because of the threat of Japanese bombing raids, but the politicians came to their senses by March, and Max was able to enrol for his first year at Townsville Grammar School, which itself had had to relocate to a large private residence since the Air force had commandeered their buildings. Under the guidance of M.W. Blank, a very motivated and creative science teacher, teaching in very difficult conditions, Max excelled. He stayed at the school for the three years of his Junior education.

In 1945, at sixteen, Max began a pharmacy apprenticeship in Townsville. After paying his parents well for board, he saved much of the rest for his future college days. By 1948 he was earning well as a dispenser which helped considerably, and the following year he bit the bullet and threw everything into completing the academic requirements in one swoop the following year, a huge feat.

So began Max's third decade of life with an established and promising career before him. During his year attending the Pharmacy College in Brisbane (1949), he met his future wife Valmae Vance. They met at a social tennis game. They later played a doubles match as partners. Val was at the teacher's college, Kelvin Grove. So began a relationship that lasted almost sixty years.

Max graduated with the highest results for the country students, with a string of A's. His sister Shirley had loaned him the equivalent of a couple of weeks wages to tide him over when his budget fell short. It was a close one financially, but when he began work as a young pharmacist in Stanthorpe he rapidly repaid this debt. He was now getting very well paid.

Max and Val were engaged in 1951. A pharmacy business was on offer in Babinda, the place where Val's mother had died. Harry Ling, the Babinda pharmacist was offering an easy and helpful transfer of the business management so Max chose to work and live there. They married in Cairns in 1952, and honeymooned at Arcadia, Magnetic Island. Val was forced to resign from her teaching position at the Cairns High School as a Queensland Education Department ruling, and they settled in the house behind the chemist shop at 80 Munro Street, Babinda.

Max and young Peter.

Peter was born to Max and Val the following year. Phillip was born two years later and John after a slightly longer gap (1953, 1955, and 1958). Max would join his family for cooked midday meal each working day. He would know when to come up from the shop when one of his boys would wind the 'manual' phone three times to alert him that lunch was ready.

Max carrying the torch...

Max enthusiastically trained and did well against the other men of the town to secure a leg in the Olympic torch relay. In 1956 the Olympic Torch was carried to Melbourne from Cairns to Melbourne by thousands of young Australians and Max ran his mile with the torch somewhere near Innisfail. It remains a proud memory for the family.

Max's Olympic medallion for carrying the torch.

By the time Max completed his third decade, he had transformed from that of a single man at college to heading a family of five, living in a little North Queensland cane farming town. He was happy and had settled well into his role as local pharmacist, doting husband, loving father and sunny-natured friend to anyone he met.

So during Max's fourth decade, his energies were directed toward growing as a family, encouraging the children in their schooling, taking the family on holidays, managing sibling rivalries, and balancing it all that with the social demands of the town. A memorable holiday involved three locations, Magnetic Island, Mount Speck, and Lake Barrine, a week in each. Max also became a fine tennis player in the region. He involved himself in other team sports such as cricket and Australian Rules football which had become popular in North Queensland. The latter he played till he broke his left arm in an awkward tackle.

In 1965 the family moved from behind the shop to a large house on the outskirts of the town. Many a fun cricket game was played on the large lawn at the new house, involving many extras around about. During this fourth decade, his sons all attended the Babinda State School and at the end of that decade his two eldest sons were attending the Grammar School in Townsville as borders. In those years, Max had his turn as president of the Babinda Rotary Club.

During the fifth decade, Max renovated the chemist and took on a partner, Fred Lizzio. Val had returned to teaching locally at the Babinda State School and later progressed to being teacher librarian there. Peter attended the College of Art in Brisbane. Phillip enrolled in surveying at the Queensland Institute of Technology. John attended Townsville Grammar and later Pimlico High School also in Townsville. Max and Val were quite often the only one's at home.

Max in Yungaburra.

Peter had married Barbara Berkeley in the year Max turned fifty. The following year he and Val travelled on the Siberian Railway and spent many months touring Europe. Max kept a very thorough diary of the whole trip with the resolve and commitment he gave all projects he embarked on.

Max seeing off Peter, Barb, Rebecca, Simon and Daniel.

Max and Val with John, Kaye and Nicholas.

During the following (sixth) decade, four grandchildren were born, Rebecca, Simon, Daniel, and Nicholas (1980, 1982, 1984, and 1986). It was a very positive and hopeful time. Both Phillip and John had married. It was a time to be financially creative. Max and his partner Fred had purchased the Babinda Picture Theatre and kept the films coming, even though attendance had dropped off. Through this timely intervention, the old theatre has survived to this day. It was also a time of renewed spiritual and religious exploration. Both Max and Val made a return to a stronger Christian commitment but in opposing directions. Max chose to attend the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Innisfail and Val absolutely refused.

Max with his sister Shirley.

By the commencement of the seventh decade, Max had become disillusioned by what had unfolded within the Seventh Day Adventist Church he attended and began attending the local Uniting Church with Val. But this decade heralded other challenges, and new property investments were not successful and returned little. Max was also diagnosed with prostate cancer much to his family's dismay. On the positive side, two more grand children were born, Sarah and Harley (1990 and 1993).

Max was not going to be beaten by his prostate cancer and made changes to his diet which included the consumption of apricot kernels. After a time, and through measures ranging from orthodox medication right through to the latest 'alternative', the PSA count went down and the cancer threat was averted. Max was to live another fifteen more years. He had started to scale down his work times at the Babinda pharmacy and took on some relieving work for other pharmacists who appreciated his care, honesty and commitment. Max and Val had purchased a unit in Atherton and on Christmas Eve 1994 they went to live there permanently. December 1994 was Max's last month at the Babinda pharmacy. Even though he may have done a little more relieving about the place for a few more years, we can definitely state that he remained in his single career for at least 49 years and seemed to enjoy every moment of it.

During this seventh decade Max and Val experienced plenty of quality time with their grandchild Harley. All the other grandchildren lived interstate, so Harley was a blessing for them to do the grandparent role on a regular basis, and not just on the occasional visit. At the same time, they were able to act as a real support to Phillip and Shellie who both worked.

Max and his brother Kelvin with baby Harley.

Max's last decade commenced with Phillip and Shellie's wedding (with their son Harley as pageboy). It was a joyous occasion and with most of the family in attendance. Health wise, Max was having trouble with ulcerative colitis. He tried many herbal remedies and antioxidants and his colon slowly returned to normal. A year later it flared up again and continued to grow worse, so much so that he had to have his colon surgically removed and from then on wear a 'stoma' bag. His prostate had also swollen forcing Max to wear a catheter. So for the last three years of his life he had the added burden of 'double plumbing'.

Max with Gordon, Peter and baby Piper 2004.

On the positive side, two great-grandchildren were born, Piper and Jasper (2004 and 2007). He was able to see and hold both of these children born to Rebecca and Gordon. There were many more visits from Peter and John, both living in Melbourne. In Max's last year, John came to stay as fulltime carer which was such an unexpected blessing, but oh so needed. Without John's love and care it is unlikely that Max would have reached the eighty year milestone which he did last November.

Max and his boys, 2007.

Val was also becoming very ill with lymphatic cancer and over time suffered four heart attacks and one leg amputation (2007). There was a moment in September 2008 when Max was crying as Val balanced between this world and the next. Miraculously she recovered and has outlived Max as it has turned out.

Max with Val recovering in hospital after the amputation.

Max was admitted into the Atherton Hospital on 6th January this year and died on 12th. He was admitted because he was not able to adequately manage his pain level at home. During those last six days his body started to shut down. He had come to the end and the staff at the hospital knew it. He died late morning in the presence of his son John and grandson Simon. May he rest in peace in the loving arms of Jesus his saviour. He is on a new journey. Thoughtful logic says it has to be this way. We are all far too precious (and individual) to simply disappear without a trace. We will joining him when our own time arrives.

September 2008.

*OBE - Over Bloody Eighty. Max was considering ordering the humorous certificate advertised in a Senior Citizens magazine. He deserves a real OBE because he raised the spirits of countless people whose paths crossed his.