Philip Dion Coote (1919 - 2005)

Born 15 Jun 1919 in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

Ancestors

Husband of Deirdre Patricia Moorhouse — married 11 Oct 1946 in North Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Died 15 Aug 2005 at age 86 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Rob Coote [send private message]

Biography

Dion Coote served in the Australian Army in World War II
Service started: 29 Jan 1942
Unit(s): Australian New Guinea Administrative Unit
Service ended: 18 Dec 1945

WW2 Service #: NX86544: COOTE DION PHILIP: Service Number - NX86544: Date of birth - 15 Jun 1919: Place of birth - PORT MORESBY PAPUA: Place of enlistment - PADDINGTON NSW: Next of Kin - COOTE RHODA ^[1]

COOTE-MOORHOUSE, - The Engagement is announced of Patricia, the only child of Mr N.F. Moorhouse, of Neutral Bay, to Dion Philip, elder son of Mrs R Coote, of Killara, and the late Mr P. Coote, of Rabaul, New Guinea. ^[2]

Mr and Mrs DION COOTE, of Neutral Bay, with their three small daughters, Belinda, Philippa and Joanne, will leave by air on Saturday to make their home on Vanapau Plantation, Rabaul. Mrs Coote was formerly Miss Patricia Moorehouse ^[3]

Dion departed this life at his home in Brisbane and his memorial service was held at the Hemmant Cemetry and Crematorium, Brisbane.

Eulogy

Peter, Dion's brother, gave the following Eulogy at his Funeral on August 22, 2005

Dion was born in 1919 in Port Moresby, the eldest son of Philip and Rhoda Coote. Port Moresby, in those days, was fairly primitive and we understand he was born by the light of a kerosene lamp.

After our father was transferred to the little island of Samarai, Dion went to school there for a short time but when he was seven he was left in Sydney with our maternal grandmother "Singmum", to continue his schooling. Dion gave her this name because she used to sing him to sleep when he was very small and we all called her that afterwards.

Initially, they lived in Cliff Ave Northbridge in Sydney and then later moved to Yeo Street, Neutral Bay. Here Dion completed his primary schooling followed by his secondary education at SHORE School at North Sydney.

Downstairs in the Flat below, lived a young lady by the name of Patricia, who was attending a local girls school - Wenona.

After completing High School, Dion had a stint as a Jackaroo on a sheep station, but yearned for his life in New Guinea and so soon returned to live with his family in Rabaul where he commenced work for Burns Philp plantations. Diana and I can still remember visiting him in the little overseer's house on Wat Wat Plantation, high on the hill looking over coconut palms towards the sea - a lonely place, but beautiful on that night of the full moon. We played records on the wind-up gramophone, especially one of his favourites - blur orchid.

Dion was working on a plantation in the Solomons Islands when Japan attacked Pearl Harbour and commenced its invasion of the Pacific. It was after the Japanese took Rabaul that Dion hopped on the last boat out of the Solomons bound for Sydney. None of the family knew where he was until early one cold morning the phone rang and it was Dion. He had landed in Sydney, was in Tropical clothes and had no Australian money. We were overjoyed to hear his voice and to know that he was safe.

After arrival in Australia - Dion joined the army and was posted to the 8th Division in Western Australia. He soon became bored with the lack of activity there - all the action was taking place in New Guinea - so he applied for a transfer to ANGAU and saw service in Bougainville.

Dion was always loud and boisterous and full of practical jokes when he arrived home from the army. in his big, booming voice full of good cheer he would tease Hanna with "Good-day Puk Pul" (meaning - Hello Crocodile"). There wasn't too much money around in those years but Dion was always generous and caring towards his mother and sister.

After the war, he returned to Sydney and soon after - Patricia and he was married. Dion then joined his Father-in-Law's business of Pharmaceutical wholesaling.

I remember - at that time - he drove around in an old Peugeot car - which he called "Connie". Why "Connie"? Because he thought it was constantly constipated - it could never pass anything.

In the meantime - we all learnt the loss of our father who had been taken as a civilian POW in Rabaul by the Japanese. Despite this - my mother, sister and I were keen to return to the life we knew in PNG. In 1949 we bought a run-down cocoa plantation - known as "Vunapau" - just out of Rabaul. Some little while later we bought another plantation in the Witu Islands - which I went out to manage - leaving a vacancy at Vunapau.

Dion was keen to return to PNG plantation life so, with Patricia and the three little girls - Belinda, Philippa and Joanne, he came up to manage Vunapau, where they moved to a grass-roofed house from the comforts of Sydney - quite a contrast. Later, his son, Richard, was born in Rabaul.

Dion developed and extended the plantation and together with Patricia, ran a general store/post office agency at Kerevat - a nearby Government settlement. In addition to this - both Dion and Trish were keen golfers - and so Dion, was for many years, President of the Kerevat Golf Club.

When self-government and Independence came to PNG we realised it was time to think about leaving.

Dion and Pat enjoyed many happy years of retirement on the Gold Coast, and when Patricia sadly passed away a few years ago, this left a void in considerable Dion's life.

Whilst life for Dion was not too easy these past few years he never ever complained. he was fortunate to be well cared for by his family and always enjoyed special family times. Dion will always be remembered for his friendly and cheerful disposition. he will be sadly missed but very fondly remembered.

Sources

1. ↑ National Archives Australia: 4614786 National Archives of Australia
2. ↑ The Sydney Morning Herald (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia); 9 Mar 1946 Sat; Page 30.
3. ↑ The Sydney Morning Herald; Social News; 26 Mar 1953

• Dion's memories were sourced from the tribute written by Belinda Rogers (nee Coote) and published in PNGAA [1] website.
• Burns Philp & Company Staff Record
• The Sydney Morning Herald, Funeral Notices, August 20, 2005, p.59