Albert Francis Abbott CBE (1913 - 2006)

Born 10 Dec 1913 in Marvel Loch, Western Australia, Australia

Ancestors

Husband of Gwendoline Joyce (MacLean) Abbott — married 28 Jun 1941 in Marian, Queensland, Australia

Died 10 Feb 2006 at age 92 in Mackay, Queensland, Australia

Biography

Albi Abbott CBE is Notable.

Albi Abbott CBE was born in Western Australia, Australia

Albert 'Albi' Francis Abbott was born on 10th December 1913 in the gold mining township of Marvel Loch, 400 kilometres (250 miles) east of Perth in the Yilgarn district of Western Australia, Australia. He was the firstborn child of Albert Victor Abbott and Diana Lazarus. ^[1] Marvel Loch is named after the horse that won the Caulfield Cup in 1905. It was surveyed in 1909, with the town gazetted in 1911.

Albi attended school at Wellington Mill, a small jarrah timber community in the south west of the State, near Bunbury. The family moved across the country to Queensland in 1924 when Albert was 11 years old, settling in Mount Martin, a sugarcane farming community near Mackay in North Queensland. His first job was with his father driving a truck carting cane from farms over the district to the tram lines to be taken to the sugar mill. In the slack season he cut and carted timber, fence posts, house and yard blocks and mill wood for fuel for the local sugar mills.

Albi married Joyce MacLean on 28th June 1941 in the Holy Rosary Roman Catholic Church, Marian, 24 kilometres (15 miles) west of Mackay, Queensland. ^[2] The couple had six children.

Albi Abbott CBE is a Military Veteran.
Served in the Royal Australian Air Force 1943-1946
No.15 Aircraft Repair Depot

On 2nd March 1943 he enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) for service during the then highly-ominous Second World War. The war over, he was discharged on 4th February 1946; his final posting beng to the No.15 Aircraft Repair Depot. ^[3]

Albi bought another truck and used it on the road works to help the resealing of the Eungella Range Road. He became road construction foreman and worked on a number of road construction jobs around the Mirani Shire. He was heavily involved in the welfare of ex-servicemen and was President of the Mackay Returned and Services League (RSL) Sub-Branch from 1960 to 1965. He then became Mackay district RSL President from 1965 to 1974. From 1974 to 1990, Albi was the Queensland RSL State President of the RSL. He was a member of the Mackay State High School P&C from 1960 to 1971 and President of Mackay Legacy in 1960.

He was elected Mayor of Mackay in 1970, holding the position until 1988, thus becoming the longest-serving Mayor of Mackay. During this period he was also heavily involved in comminty groups, especially the Queensland Local Government Grants Commission (Commissioner 1977-1984), the Picture Theatre and Films Commission (1976-1990) and the Utah Foundation Trust (Governor 1975-1989). He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1974 and created Knight Bachelor in 1981 for his services to his community through local government. He was elected President of the Local Government Association of Australia between 1986-1987, having been State President 1983-1988.

Aged 92 years, Sir Albert passed away on 10th February 2006 in Mackay. He was survived by his wife of 64 years, Lady Abbott, who passed three years later.

Sources

1. ↑ Western Australia Birth Index #7000002/1914; registered at Yilgarn
2. ↑ Queensland Marriage Index #1941/C/3320
3. ↑ Department of Veterans' Affairs nominal roll: 131505 Leading Aircraftman Albert Francis Abbott; accessed 10 May 2023

See also

• Mackay History: Albert Francis Abbott; accessed 10 May 2023.
• Notable Queenslanders 1975. Consol Publishing Co, Brisbane, 1975.
• Who's Who in Australia 2000. Information Australia Group Pty Ltd, Melbourne, 1999, p. 111.