Jo (Singleton) Lokan

Ancestors

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Jo Lokan [send private message]

Biography

I was born on the 11th June 1963 at 4.19 pm to my parents Maureen (Ruttley) and John Singleton at the Mater Hospital North Shore Sydney NSW. I have 2 older brothers Gregory born 1960 and Mark born 1961 and 1 younger brother Jason born 1966. Our early life in Sydney I cannot remember , but we moved to Toronto NSW in 1967. One thing I do remember in Sydney was that my Nan would take me to the swimming pool and the beach on the bus, and I really loved that. My dad John had taken a new job in Newcastle. We all went to Toronto Primary School. My Dad left us in 1968 and went to Canberra to start a business called 1418 Truck Sales and Service, he never returned. Mum worked in many places including Toronto Taxis and as a receptionist in a hotel. She was a secretary before she was married in Sydney and in the Air Force in the 1950s. I was involved in many sports including netball, ice skating, swimming ,softball and basketball, but swimming was my favourite. I do remember my Dad taking me to figure skating lessons in Newcastle. Mum spent many hours taking us all to our sports. My brothers played Rugby League and Cricket as well as swimming and surf lifesaving. We then all went to Toronto High School. My Mum met a lovely man called Bill Gardner in the mid 1970s and went on to marry him. He was the most lovely step dad and I loved him just like a father. I didn't like school very much ,but really enjoyed sport, music and drama. I left school after the first term of year 11 to work in a camera shop (Fletchers Fotographics) in Hunter Street Newcastle. The same company had a duty free store next door and I went on to work there also. At age 18 I left home (by then we were living at 55 Sunlight Parade Fishing Point) to a flat in Newcastle near the Prince of Wales Hotel. I then moved to another flat at Cooks Hill. In 1979 I travelled to Bali with my brothers girlfriend Natalie. In 1980 I travelled around New Zealand with my friends Michelle and Kelli. In 1981 Mum and I went to Fiji. In 1982 I left Newcastle and went backpacking to Europe were I stayed for nearly 4 years, working in London and travelling. There I met my future husband Steve and we eventually returned to Australia in 1986. We went to his families farm in Meningie South Australia. We married on the 30th October 1988 in Newcastle. After honeymooning in Bali we returned to Meningie where we had started a business in Stockfeed Manufacturing in 1986. Our three girls were born during this time. Jenna Michelle in 1990, Georgia Rene in 1995 and Danielle Jo in 1999. Many hard years building our business and working long hours seemed endless, but now looking back how the time has flown by. As a family we have enjoyed some lovely holidays to Fiji, Europe, USA, Africa. In 1996 we brought a small farm at Meningie called Balcarres which we still have today. Along the way we owned another farm Ballantrae which we sold about 2005. We also have a fantastic Station called Minetta which is 52,000 acres west of Bourke in NSW. We have now retired ( 2022) from our Stockfeed Business in Meningie and divide our time between Balcarres in Meningie and our home in St Georges Adelaide. When Mum got sick in 2008 it was truely devestating and I spent a lot of time back and forth to Newcastle to help out. She died in 2009 and I still miss her every day. My lovely step dad was diagnosed with Parkinsons and went down hill quickly, and passed away in 2012. A few years after my Mum and my step dad passed away I received a letter from my Dad. I hadn't kept in contact with him for many, many years. I thought long and hard about my very absent father and decided it was time to open that very difficult emotional part of my life. It was a great decision. I spent the next 5 years getting to know my Dad and I am crying now just reliving the time we spent together. I helped him and his wife Irene move from Port Macquarie in NSW back to his families ancestors home town area of Penguin Tasmania (they were from Sassafras and Ulvestone areas ). I for the very first time met cousins and relatives. We had grown up without any cousins and only very few relations who were much older and all died in the 70s and 80s. Dad got sick in the end of 2019 and passed away with me at his bedside in March 2020. I will end now as at August 2023 and hope to fill in more in the coming years.

Sources

• First-hand information. Entered by Jo Singleton at registration.