Bill leaves his marks

FEW Healesville people these days would know that when they turn on the tap each morning their water comes from the E. R. (Bill) Frogley Basin below Badger Weir.
The weir was named after Bill Frogley, then head of the Healesville Waterworks Trust, which built the 1 million gallon storage basin in 1972 to ensure a clean supply of water to the town.
That is one of the many legacies that mark a remarkable 96 years – 73 of those spent in Healesville where, with wife Lorna always by his side, he made his mark in the business and community and raised a family.
Edwin Robert Frogley was born in South Yarra on 3 September 1913 to Frank and Agnes. He had two brothers, Norm and Gerald and a sister, Connie. He left school at 14 to work in the family painting and decorating business as an apprentice.
The business suffered through the austerity of the Depression years and when his father fell ill, Bill, at 16, was thrown into managing the business. The effects of those years, and the lessons learnt, influenced the decisions he made throughout his life.
Bill met Lorna Hotchin in 1934 and they were married on 26 June 1937. They celebrated their anniversary every year and were true soul mates until Lorna’s death two years ago.
In 1930 Frank and Agnes went on holiday at a camping park in Lakes Entrance. It provided the inspiration for a family “tree change”.
Bill and Lorna were newlyweds when the entire Frogley clan moved to Healesville. Frank bought Harkaway, a 14-acre property on Badger Creek Road and in October 1938 started a new family enterprise – Healesville Camping Park.
Less than three months later, they were battling to save not only Harkaway, but joined in a massive community effort to save Healesville when the 1939 fires hit the town. Bill and his brothers were instrumental in starting the Badger Creek Rural Fire Brigade after the fires.
The camping park flourished leading up to and during World War II, taking in as many as 1500 campers at Christmas and Easter.
The war years brought new challenges: With all three brothers enlisting, Bill in the RAAF, the job of running the camp fell to the rest of the family.
After the war, with the Frogley clan expanding – Norm had married Evelyn Day, Gerald married Rona Jenkins and Connie married Don Montgomery – another stream of income was needed. Soft drinks seemed to be the answer.
The soft drink companies didn’t deliver to the Yarra Valley so the brothers started HCP (Healesville Camping Park) Aerated Waters.
The name was changed to Healesville Cordial Products in 1947 and in 1954 a new, modern factory was built. They had six delivery trucks and employed 24 people.
HCP is a story in itself, and one the Mail has told on more than one occasion over the years. It was a home-grown success story that ended after more than 40 years when Bill retired and the business was sold in 1986.
HCP may have been a small country soft drink business, but it had a big reputation within the industry. HCP was a foundation member of the Victorian Country Soft Drink Association – later to become the Victorian Soft Drink Manufacturers Association, of which Bill was the first president and a life member.
But it was not only the business that made Bill and Lorna Frogley proud Healesvillians: They raised a family – three boys, Trevor, Ian and John – and Bill was actively involved in Healesville Scouts and the Healesville High School.
His involvement in the community was phenomenal.
He was a councillor with the Shire of Healesville for 14 years including two years as president.
He devoted almost 50 years to the Lions Club of Healesville, of which he was charter president and a life member. He played a major role in raising the funds for the Maroondah Retirement Village and was president of the management committee for many years.
Other official roles include chairman of the 1964 Healesville Centenary Committee and of the Healesville Waterworks Trust, a member of the Masonic Lodge of Healesville and foundation member of the Badger Creek Fire Brigade.
But life was not all work and civic duty. There were family holidays and as the years moved on there were many family celebrations with the boys and their wives, grandchildren and more recently great-grandchildren. He was very much a proud father and grandfather.
In retirement, Bill and Lorna also travelled extensively, seeing the world and adding lasting friendships to the many they enjoyed back home.
When Lorna’s health deteriorated in 2005 and she could no longer stay at home, they moved to Summerwood Hostel in Lilydale. Lorna was always the love of his life and that they should ever be apart was never an option.
Bill died peacefully, age 96, at Summerwood on 12 January, 2010. He will be remembered as a gentleman of his era, and for his outstanding contribution to the Healesville community.