Stephen Thomas Anthony Sommerville
Born: 15/2/1952 Age: 64
Nicknames: Dug
Married 3 times, had 3 kids with his 1st wife
16 years with first wife – was good but didn’t work out
8 years with second wife – was bad but learned from it
10 years with current wife – going good
Childhood
grew up in the country and his parents would move around a lot. Lillimur, Kaniva and Robinvale. He was usually by himself but he liked it. Steve found many ways to have fun and we would cruise around on his bike, explore the land, and make little things like kites, slingshots and mini boats he would sail in the Murray River. Also him and his friends would play little war games and make tanks, cars and boats with peashooters.
He grew up without a tv, phones and technology so little things like this was the best way to have fun.
Family
John William (father) Dorethy Anne (mother)
Charlie and Katie (dogs)
1 brother 4 sisters (3 now)
3 children
3 step children
5 grand children
5 step grand children
Work
Left school at the age of 16 and got a traineeship (5 years) as a technician with PMG also known as telecom which is called Telstra today. Installed phones in houses for 19 and a half years. Then went to Papua New Guinea in Port Moresby, worked up there for 2 years with their telecommunication company and while there walked the Kokoda Trail. After this Steve left PMG to support a computer system. This system controlled the loading of petrol tankers at terminals, the job was to load the tankers in a safe manner. Steve did this alone for 6 years then had 2 new people come in to help and Steve taught them everything he knew. He did this for 5 years, after Steve left that job he was un employed for 6 months, during these 6 months he did garden jobs like weeding and mowing and also managed a small office. After all this steve came back to Telstra and monitored and repaired sections of the Telstra network and did this for another 16 years, then retired and joined the men’s shed.
Stories
When Steve was around 22 he got into an argument with a guy who took his parking spot, Steve ended up getting knocked out and went into a comma and woke up 5 days later. One of his neighbours bribed in court by the man who hit Steve to go against Steve even though they were friends.
Steve was chopping down some trees with a chainsaw for an open wood fire. Was using a ladder against the tree and part of the tree snapped and he got knocked and dropped the chainsaw on his arm and cut slices open.
Education
Prep to grade 3 – Kaniva consolidated school
Grade 4 to year 7 – St. Marys catholic school
Year 8 – year 10 Aquinas college
Turned 16 then left school
While with telecom Steve did an associate diploma in electronics over 5 years
Travel
– First trip went on a singles cruise. 11 guys 23 girls
– Second trip went on an adventure by himself and toured Tuscany in Italy followed by touring of Egypt
– Went backpacking in Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Paris and London on his own
– Went on a cruise with girlfriend and got engaged
– Then went to Beijing and got a tour
– Lastly went back to Europe with wife, went to Greece, Italy, Czech Republic, Paris and England.
Alex Arnett interviewed Steve Sommerville for the Eltham High VCAL Stories of my life project.
October 2016
