27/05/2026
The Story of Anthony Geoffrey "Tony" Bates
Early Days in Kent and the Wartime Years
Anthony Geoffrey "Tony" Bates was born in 1937 in Maidstone, Kent, England. He grew up immersed in rural life; his father, Geoffrey Bates, was a farmer, and his mother, Ruth Paine, served as a Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) nurse during the Second World War. During the war, the family farm became a hub for the community, with Tony’s mother managing and dishing out vital supplies of butter, cheese and more, these supplies were delivered directly to the property. The doodlebugs would fly over the property being launched from nearby Germany. They were an unmanned mine which were launched to disrupt aircraft like spitfires, clipping their wings throwing them off course.
Tony grew up alongside three siblings: a younger brother, Nick, and two sisters, Belinda and Carolyn.
Tony’s education began with five years in Ramsgate, followed by prep school at Ashdown House in Sussex. Growing up, he was a keen sportsman, playing soccer, tennis, and hockey. When he wasn't at school, he was on the family farm, driving tractors through fields of wheat and fruit orchards, and helping tend to his father’s herd of Sussex cattle. Tony's dad was one of the first farmers to install a cold store and was able to store apples for longer periods of time helping the sale price.
National Service and the Move to Australia
After finishing his schooling, Tony completed two years of National Service stationed at Dover. Serving in a transport role, he drove military trucks—mainly one-tonners—and was trained in marksmanship, primarily handling .303 rifles. Following his discharge, he spent 12 months working back on the family farm before deciding to take a leap of faith and become a "Ten Pound Pom."
Seeking new opportunities, Tony immigrated to Australia entirely on his own at 21, arriving by boat in Melbourne. Under the immigration scheme, he committed to staying for at least two years.
Upon arrival, he was taken in by his mother’s cousins, John and Dennis Paine. The brothers provided him with room and board in exchange for his help on their farms. It was a true introduction to the Australian bush—they taught him how to ride a horse, and Tony fondly recalls the 20-minute horseback trek just to collect the mail from the front gate.
From Southern Orchards to the Queensland Bush
Tony eventually secured a job at the Ardmona orchard near Shepparton, Victoria, picking apples, pears, and peaches. After 12 months there, Tony "saw the light" and headed north to Wandoan, Queensland, where a family friend, Mick Worsfold, ran sheep. Tony picked up work stick-picking a few blocks down at a property called Roachdale, camping out there for 6 months.
Life took an auspicious turn one year when Tony teamed up with Barry Wills to head back down to Victoria for the wheat harvest. Since Barry didn't own a car, they piled into Tony’s trusted Volkswagen. It was during this harvest that Tony first crossed paths with Barry’s cousin, Lyne Margetts.
By 1960, Lyne was working in a bank and would save up all her leave to travel up to Wandoan to visit her cousins. During these holidays, Tony and Lyne spent more time together, and a strong friendship blossomed. Tony later took a job in the neighbouring Victorian town of Murrayville, where their friendship deepened into romance. The pair were married in 1964. Lyne is still mad at Tony for kissing her on the first date.
Building a Legacy in Wallumbilla
The newlyweds moved back to Wandoan, welcoming their daughter, Susan, in 1966, The young family soon relocated to their permanent home in Wallumbilla where they welcomed sons Peter and Tim.
The block of land they moved to had originally been drawn out by Lyne’s cousin, Barry named Silvervalley. Together, Tony and Barry took on the massive task of developing the 14,500-acre property from scratch—clearing the dense bush, preparing the land for wheat, cultivating the land, and running cattle.
In Tony's spare time he would shoot riffles at the Wallumbilla Rifle Club which he joined in 1972, Tony would compete against Digger Houston and Brian Carrol and the team travelled to Belmont in Brisbane to compete, they also attended mayday shoots at Amby and competitions at Wondai.
Tony and the family started out by living in a car trailer, washing in a nearby dam. Eventually the family purchased a cottage from Wandoan, shipping it out to the property on a truck and another one from Jackson which was a railway house.
Garry Godford built a house in Silver Valley at around the same time. Barry later moved into this house.
The cottages didn't have power and water at first and Tony's son Peter fondly recalls the phone line being installed when he was 16 in 1986.
Success didn't come easily; Tony recalls that their first few crops struggled because the soil lacked conserved moisture. However, through sheer hard work and perseverance, they improved the soil quality and successfully established an annual wheat harvest.
To support the family and the development of the massive property, Tony also took on contract work for other local landowners. He spent hours stick-picking for Viv Taylor at Fairlands, and teamed up with Barry to do dozer contracting—burning off the land together before clearing it with the dozer.
Mateship and the Men’s Shed
While Tony has built a beautiful life in Australia, a piece of his heart remains in England; he still misses UK pubs and warm beer, and has returned to visit several times, bringing his family along to see his roots.
Closer to home, Tony has been a cornerstone of the local community. When the Wallumbilla Men’s Shed was established in 2013, Tony was there from day one as a founding member. He remains a regular fixture at the Shed, noting that his absolute favourite part of coming along is the simple joy of catching up with mates he might not otherwise see around town.
And for anyone wondering—fear not, there is no estate sale at Bengalla this year, because Tony is still going strong and is right where he belongs!
