June 6, 2014
Well-known former Murgon businessman Keith Goodchild, a much-respected and tireless worker for the local community, died recently in Canberra, aged 88.
John Keith Goodchild was born in Kilkivan on February 7, 1926, the son of Ernest Henry Goodchild and Katherine Elfreda Slater.
His mother died in Wondai Hospital when he was aged just 3. He grandmother, Louisa Blair, helped to raise Keith, his two brothers James and Geoffrey, and sister Elaine.
The family later moved to Murgon and Keith attended Murgon State School.
He enlisted in the Australian Army at Redbank on August 1, 1944.
He served at the Cowra Prisoner-of-War Camp, arriving just one week after the tragic breakout when more than 1000 POWs attempted to escape. Four Australian soldiers and more than 200 Japanese soldiers died in that incident.
Keith then served at Ambon and Kai in Indonesia in 1945.
Returning to Murgon after the war, Keith settled into civilian life.
He worked as a butcher and then as a grocer and played hooker for the Murgon rugby league.
While working at Angel’s store, he met his future wife, Cleo Pearl Angel.
The couple was married on July 15, 1950 in a service at the Murgon Presbyterian Church by the Rev Robert Crook.
The family would later joke that a Crook married a Goodchild and an Angel.
Son Ian Keith was born on March 20, 1951. Ian died in a horse-riding accident in 1990.
Daughter Angela was born in 1954.
Keith was very community-minded. He joined Apex in 1956 and was president in 1965; he joined Rotary in 1967, and was president from 1993-1994.
Keith was honoured as a Paul Harris Fellow in 2001 following 34 years of Rotary service.
As well as rugby league, Keith enjoyed other sports.
He was a competitive rifle shooter for 54 years from 1947-2001 and captained the Murgon shooting team from 1952 -1992, and was president of the South Burnett District Rifle Assocation for 35 years.
He presented the Goodchild (trophy) Shield For Cricket in 1999.
In his business life, Keith was a member of Four Square for 30 years, five years as chairman/director, Queensland.
He was also a keen gardener, winning the Lions Champion Garden competition from 1997 – 2000.
The Keith Goodchild Welcome Park & Rose Garden was opened in Murgon in 1997, and there is a Goodchild Drive in Murgon.
After 51 years in Murgon, Keith and Cleo moved to Canberra to live with daughter Angela and son-in-law Peter Brown.
The couple celebrated 60 years of marriage in the company of Peter, Judy and Norma Angel and Peter and Angela Brown in 2010.
After his Parkinson’s symptoms grew worse, Keith moved into high care at Goodwin Aged Care facility in Ainsley in 2011.
He died on April 28.
He is survived by his wife Cleo, 89, who is also at the Goodwin facility, and daughter Angela.
“My Dad was a really great, loving family man,” Angela told southburnett.com.au.
“He worked tirelessly to help others and to keep his family together.
“He was Keefie to Ben, Erica, Royce, Wesley, Matt, Jason, Tyler, Samantha, Harrison Keith, and Densel.”
[UPDATED with correction]
