Elaine Mary Postlethwaite
Born: 23 November 1936
Died: 13 May 2014
SUMMING up a life so well lived and embraced is no mean task.
The collection of symbols, however, presented one by one at Elaine Postlethwaite’s farewell Mass at the Marysville Community Centre on 22 May 2014, was a moving and celebratory way of encapsulating her life.
Her daughters, nieces and grandchildren presented first chalk and a pop-up book, symbolic of her wonderful teaching career.
Then, a beater and sponge recipe, her much appreciated baking skills, her prayerbook and Rosary beads were symbolic of her love of God and his Church.
The Book of Days purchased at Mont St Michel in France, her love of art and of things French, her hat and umbrella, a lifetime of walking and her love of beautiful clothes, her Order of Australia Medal, recognition of her wonderful and wide-ranging service to her community of Marysville, coloured glass symbolised her love of beautiful things and her love of colour.
There was the Commonwealth Games baton that she proudly carried in the Relay in 2006. And, highlighted with funny and seemingly contradictory anecdotes during the service, Elaine’s St Kilda football scarf and a Saints photograph representing one passionate supporter.
Elaine was born at Warracknabeal to teacher Ted Duncan and his wife Eileen.
She was the eldest of five children who had a gypsy-like life moving around Victoria to wherever Ted was posted – mostly one-teacher schools.
Most of her life was spent in Marysville, having moved early in her career to teach.
She met and fell in love with Len Postlethwaite and they had two daughters – Ann and Kay.
Marysville became her home and its people, particularly the little ones, became her life.
After retiring from teaching she became the ‘kinder teacher’ for many years working with the three-year-old kinder kids into her early ’70s.
She taught French at Buxton Primary School and at Marysville where she was also the religious instruction teacher
Her sister Patricia described her life as a broad tapestry, and it was certainly that – and she would have loved the description as a creative and innovative woman.
She escaped from Marysville with her life on Black Saturday 2009 but, sadly, Len perished. The story of her brave decision to flee as the fire descended on their home was widely reported on.
She was resilient and grateful, embracing a new home in Healesville – a town that was happy to have her.
That experience, however, in no way defined her Marysville life.
Elaine was an active member of the Lions Club, worked in the local opportunity shop and wrote for the Triangle News every week.
She was the woman behind the colourful and iconic Rainbow Serpent which was so much a feature of Wirreanda and other festivals in Marysville – and in Healesville on occasion.
She loved to walk – and it was always in heels! Elaine was known for her style – hats and high heels, often colourful, always beautifully combined.
Letters! Her love of words wasn’t confined to reading, another great passion.
She was a prolific letter writer and great contributor to the Mail letters page, and as a contributor on Marysville events.
Letters would often come with photographs; she loved photography too and especially when it was combined with her love of nature and colour.
The St Kilda Football Club was well and truly on her mailing list, along with family, friends, politicans and anyone who she believed deserved a ‘thank you’, a serve, or other recognition.
Australia Post was in good hands while Elaine was alive!
As her sister Patricia noted “Elaine was a self-appointed selector, writing to the coaches suggesting who merited being selected and what positions they should play in”.
Football was part of a broader love of sport from tennis and basketball played as a child to favourite sportspeople.
Among many moving tributes was one from her grandson Ben, who described his grandma as the perfect blend of fairy-tale and reality.
“Everyday, ever so gracefully floating between fiction and non-fiction, blurring the lines between them,” he wrote from the UK.
“She taught us that the only true limitation in life is our imagination. The bigger the dream, the bigger the outcome.”
In 2010 Elaine fulfilled a dream, at 74, travelling to Europe with family for the canonisation of Mary McKillop.
Creative, passionate, humble, quietly spoken (except at the football!), a woman committed to her faith, generous to her community, quick witted, caring and loving and fun… just some of the descriptions attributed to Elaine Postlethwaite by family and friends.
Elaine was buried at the Marysville cemetery following the service.
– KATH GANNAWAY
