Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Patricia (Pat) Louise Miller (nee Hindle) was born in Cairns in 1925. Pat and her older brother John lived with their parents on a small sugar cane farm at Edmonton. Her father Frederick, died at an early age and her mother, Rose, moved the family to Sorrento in Victoria.
Pat’s mother remarried Bert Heywood, and he enlisted into the Australian Military Forces in 1940. When Bert returned from the Middle East, Rose and Pat moved to Sydney. Pat began her working life as an oxy welder in a refrigerator manufacturing factory. Bert was then sent to the Atherton Tablelands to train for warfare in New Guinea, so Pat’s Mum moved back to the cane farm at Edmonton.
In 1943 Pat enlisted into the Royal Australian Air Force, as a Technical Trainee and graduated as a Flight Mechanic in 1944. It was in Williamstown NSW that she met her husband, Leslie Miller, who was an instrument technician working on aircraft. Pat loved her Air Force life.
At the end of World War 2, Pat and Les travelled to Gordonvale to spend time with Rose and Bert who had purchased a sugar cane farm at Meerawa. They were married in the All Saints Church of England Gordonvale in 1946. They opened a watch and clock repair shop in town with Les using his Air Force instrument training. He also worked in the Mulgrave Central Mill and at the Heywood farm at Meerawa. Pat and Les had three girls: Lynette, Lesley, and Elizabeth, all born at the Gordonvale Hospital.
In 1949, Les was successful in obtaining a Soldier Settlement grant for a small sugar cane farm and house in the Bundaberg district. While looking after her three young girls, Pat supplemented the family income, by raising turkeys which she dressed and sold, milking cows, making butter, sewing the girls’ clothes, and selling the vealer cows. There was however a good social scene, with tennis, dances and card playing enjoyed by the family. In 1962 the family farm was sold and they returned to Gordonvale, before purchasing their house at 88 Mill Street in 1965.
As the girls left ‘the nest,’ Pat provided board to school teachers, bank employees, and Mill cane testers. She worked for several years at the local prawn and meat processing facility. Pat and Les were long standing members of Wright’s Creek and Diggers Tennis Clubs. They were instrumental in the development of tennis facilities in Gordonvale. They were both involved in the local RSL, and Pat was always cooking for some function. In 1990 she was awarded Life Membership of the RSL. She was a keen gardener, growing beautiful flowers, roses, vegetables, and fruit trees. For twenty years she provided the flowers each Saturday to the local Anglican Church.
In 1986 Les was diagnosed with cancer. Pat nursed him at home until he passed away in 1987. For the next thirty-four years she lived in her Gordonvale house.
When tennis became too hard Pat took up golf at the local golf course. She declared that she would give golf away if she had to use a buggy and she did, only to take up lawn bowls.
Following a fall early last year, the family decided to transfer Pat to the specialist nursing care at Bellevue Care, Ferny Hills.
Pat was an inspiration to her family and friends. She died on the 4th of July 2022 aged 96. In September 2022 her ashes were placed with her husband Les at the Gordonvale cemetery, and a gathering of family and friends was held at the Gordonvale Bowls Club that afternoon.

Sandra Charlton, Pyramid News (Facebook Group, 10 Nov 2022).