General News
14 April, 2024
Farewell for a tireless community stalwart
A large crowd packed Horsham Uniting Church for the funeral of longtime celebrant, district electoral commission officer and staunch community worker Mavis Joy Beanland Kirsopp.
A large crowd packed Horsham Uniting Church for the funeral of longtime celebrant, district electoral commission officer and staunch community worker Mavis Joy Beanland Kirsopp.
Mrs Kirsopp's husband Bob, a former Horsham mayor, had died last year.
Mrs Kirsopp was born in Footscray, the first child of Allen and Eva Beanland.
Her father was a plumber/gas fitter, which meant the family moved often for his employment, and her brother Graham and sister Jean (Smale) were born at Ararat.
She was seven when the family moved to Warracknabeal.
Allen Beanland would farewell his family each Sunday afternoon to ride his bike to Dimboola to work on installing the town's new septic system, returning to them on Friday.
Eventually the family moved to Dimboola but later went back to Warracknabeal.
In her early years Mrs Kirsopp lived in a time many people today can barely imagine.
Things were certainly different: slate boards and pencils instead of paper and pens, candles and gas for lighting, wood or gas for heating and cooking, a Coolgardie safe as an ice chest, later being replaced by gas fridges and finally electric models.
Outdoor toilets - dunnies - were the norm, with cut-up newspaper for toilet paper.
Clothes were cleaned on scrubbing boards and boiled in a copper.
She loved gymnastics classes and played tennis, hockey and basketball.
She also loved the water, initially swimming in Yarriambiack Creek at Warracknabeal or, when that was dry, in a friend's dam.
When she was older, Mrs Kirsopp water-skiied at Natimuk Lake.
Later still she swam daily in the backyard pool of the family's home in Federation Avenue, Horsham.
She attended Sunday School, sang in the choir and took part in concerts, went to weekly dances in the Church of England hall and enjoyed a monthly formal ball.
In February 1954, after an afternoon of swimming at Natimuk Lake, the group went on to Natimuk where she met Bob Kirsopp.
When they were leaving, he walked her to the car, announcing: "I'm going to marry you one day."
That was the beginning of an almost-seven-decade love affair.
The Kirsopps married in 1955. After living on a farm at Glenisla, they moved to Southwood Farm near Mt Arapiles.
From there, in 1960 they moved into their "forever home" in Horsham.
In 2008 their son Glenn died - the single greatest cause of pain and grief in their lives.
Daughter Mandy said that at the time they supported each other, smiled and got on with things.
She said her mother enjoyed the simple things in life, made the kitchen table the centre of the house and followed her dreams.
Mrs Kirsopp joined Red Cross in 1962 and trained volunteers and prepared blood bank rosters for 20 years, receiving a long-service medal in 1982.
She also delivered Meals on Wheels for many years.
Mrs Kirsopp was a Birthright counsellor for 25 years as part of the volunteer group focused on helping children in danger of domestic violence and in other ways.
In 1985 she was appointed an Electoral Commission returning officer, in 1979 she became the Wimmera’s first civil celebrant and in 1998 she was made a Justice of the Peace.
She married more than 1000 couples over 35 years and officiated at numerous name-giving ceremonies and funerals.
"Being an electoral returning officer was great fun for Mum," Mandy Kirsopp said.
"She loved the responsibility, the pressure, the need for accuracy and integrity.
"She loved working with a close and highly respected team and managing an extended workforce."
Ms Kirsopp said her mother made many sacrifices so that she could attend university.
"Mum didn’t tolerate bluster, arrogance or one-upmanship," she said.
"She celebrated diversity and understood that all people are equal.
"She was hostess on overseas bus trips, worked at the local TAB and relief-managed the Bennett Road shop."
In 2001 Mrs Kirsopp received a state certificate of appreciation for community service and in 2005 she won Rostrum Speaker of the Year award.