THE tranquility and simplicity of life in Penola attracted 94-year-old resident Brian Pannell to settle, contribute to and represent the town.
Born in 1923, Mr Pannell had a humble upbringing, with his father working in a tree nursery at the Woods and Forest Department and his mother in a confectionary shop – previously located at the now Thomas De Garis and Clarkson Stock and Station Agents site.
Mr Pannell enjoyed helping his mother in the lolly shop and resisted the temptation to eat the treats while on the job.
Assisting his father Garnet “Dan” Pannell in the nursery, he would climb the trees to retrieve cones and then come down to extract the seeds.
Growing up with brothers and sisters Ewen, Margaret and Jessie, Mr Pannell enjoyed spending time at the Penola State Forest Reserve when he was a child, while living with his family and attending the single room school at “Muddy Flats”.
A passion for bike riding began at just three years of age and Mr Pannell started racing competitively a few years later.
Mr Pannell spent his younger years involved with the Penola Cycling Club, winning numerous awards, with his achievements documented in local newspapers.
“We discovered old newspaper articles of his cycling achievements and noticed there were a few from 1939 and then 1946,” Mr Pannell’s daughter Jo Fife explained.
Ms Fife later realised the reason for this seven year silence in articles written was due to cycling competitions ceasing during World War II.
Awards Mr Pannell received during his cycling years included the Penola Club 5 Mile Event in 1939.
He was also awarded the prize of most points gained for the season in 1946 for the Penola Cycling Club and placed first in the Penola 50 Mile Road Race in 1946.
“During the road race, I rode half-way to Mount Gambier from Penola and I still remember riding over the bumpy Glencoe road,” Mr Pannell said.
The cycling veteran treasures his time as a cyclist and still owns his own old bike frame.
In addition to cycling, Mr Pannell played football for Penola and Nangwarry.
When war broke out, a 16-year-old Mr Pannell worked in the Nangwarry Mill making ammunition boxes to be sent over to England and around the world.
“I also worked in the pines – cutting down pine trees with a bow saw, which is nothing compared to the machinery they have now,” he said.
“Horses would pull logs out before the other gadgets were introduced.”
Mr Pannell also worked on the dairy farm Wepar for five years, located near Kalangadoo, supplementing the family income by trapping 200 pairs of rabbits per day.
He would then load them onto the train from the Wepar station headed for Mount Gambier.
Mr Pannell married Joan on April 10, 1948, and they had four children during their 59 years of marriage.
The couple wanted a large family as it was similar to Mr Pannell’s upbringing.
“My parents did a good job having all of us, so I thought I better to do the same,” Mr Pannell said.
In around 1958, Mr Pannell managed a property at Mingbool titled Sarnia for 26 years.
“That was a good job – I used to do all the veterinary work, which was handy, as well as plowing and cutting, bailing and stacking hay – it was rewarding,” Mr Pannell said.
After years of dedication to his work in the region, Mr Pannell retired in 1992 and his dedication shifted to playing golf.
“Mum has kept a scrapbook of his golf achievements throughout the years, which is fantastic to look back on,” Ms Fife said.
Other fond memories of Mr Pannell’s hobbies included yabbying with family and friends while on holidays.
“I thoroughly enjoyed catching them then cooking them and we would go away for weeks at a time,” Mr Pannell said.
“We had a good set up with boat and sometimes around 40 people would come along.”
Mrs Pannell passed away a decade ago.
Reflecting on his decades spent in Penola, Mr Pannell has embraced all that life has to offer.
“I have enjoyed all of my life and being alive – it has been a wonderful experience,” he said.
