She was living in Cottesloe at the time, and the couple met once again.

Wendy began work in Nannup and Brian got a job at Hyder and Beattie in Busselton, so they were not far apart.

At Easter in 1970, Brian and Wendy were engaged and on May 16 they were married.

“The day was scary,” he said.

“It was a completely new set of rules for me.

“I had always been carefree and ran amok.”

The couple stayed in Busselton for the next six months until Brian was given a position at Griffin Coal.

Brian said he and his wife had initially been denied the loan from the bank for their home, despite the fact that he had a good job.

“It wasn’t until my dad went guarantor and put $3000 toward the house,” he said.

“This was in 1970 and in November that year our son Bradley was born.

“During the next two or three years we both worked very hard and took whatever overtime we could get.

“In three years and three days we had paid off the house.”

Brian said he had a close relationship with his father Frank, to whom he accredits his “bushman” lifestyle.

“We spent a lot of time out in the bush shooting kangaroos,” he said.

“I ended up buying Norm Milligan’s licence to shoot kangaroos commercially and I have been doing it ever since.

“In 1997 Greg Wright, Rod Dixon from the Health Department and myself went to New South Wales to learn how to shoot kangaroos so they could be used for meat sales and people could eat them.”

Brian represents shooters through the Kangaroo Management Advisory Committee. “I enjoy going out into the bush at night,” he said.

“I have made quite a few friends who are farmers and I’m happy I have got the kangaroos off their land.”

In 1974 their second child Chantelle was born.

In 1983, Brian became involved with the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union and represented 100 metal trades.

As a union representative, he held the position of senior steward three times as well as State organiser, operating out of Bunbury.

“I learnt a lot from Jack Marks and bosses Syd Buckland and Bob Greig,” he said.

“At this stage I could read coal mine regulations and industrial relations and remember it well.

“In 1994 I was voted back as senior steward for a couple of years by one vote.

“This later became historic because within two months Bob Greig introduced a new way to work – 12 hour shifts, seven days per week.

“We ran a lot of meetings and I was involved with a lot of negotiations.

“After 10 weeks we reached an agreement on a new structure – two days, two nights of working 12 hours, followed by four days off – we had a special even which heralded the start of the new shifts, and it was our last social.

“I am quite proud of what was achieved there – no time was lost through stoppages.”

Brian described some of the meetings as “wild”.

“One meeting in particular was memorable involving trades and mine miners,” he said.

“The vote was so close in order to determine the numbers we had some people walk through one door to say ‘yes’ and the others walked through another door to say ‘no’.”

Brian said this vote caused a huge change for Collie.

“Some people were opposed to the idea because it was not as orderly and instead of having set days, they changed,” he said.

“It has affected everyone, even the shire.

“Some people were concerned they would not earn as much for working hours, so a reward rate was suggested.”

In 1996 the union renegotiated to introduce day shifts.

Brian left the union in 2001 as a life member for services rendered.

Also in 2001, he took an early redundancy from Griffin Coal and worked six months on a farm when he met Bob Butson from WA Skills and started a new career with them as a teacher and trainer.

In 2005-06 Brian received his accreditation and has been enjoying teaching and the freedom to choose when he wants to work.

“Classrooms are pretty full-on with all the paperwork and preparation,” he said.

“It’s also been a great experience as we get to travel and Wendy can come with me if she so desires. I teach a lot of WorkSafe stuff and enjoy teaching.”

Brian and Wendy said their recent experience in the Philippines was particularly special.

“The people over there are just beautiful and they treat you so well,” Wendy said.

Brian said although he enjoyed himself in the capital Manila, he preferred the country.

“When I have been in the city I like to do what I call ‘Tall Timber Therapy,’” he said.

“I will just drive into the bush and stay there for a while collecting wood and reminiscing.

“It settles me down – it’s more me.”

Brian said he had been fortunate his wife loved the country like he did.

“It is hard to imagine life without her, without a bushy girl as a wife,” he said.