November 28, 2025
Former Wondai resident Robert Smith, 53, drowned on August 27 in a tragic boating accident on the Sunshine Coast. This is an edited version of the eulogy read by his sister Susan Jochheim at the funeral, held at Buderim on September 5:
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Robert Lesleigh Windmell Smith was born on September 17, 1972, the first son to Gil and Michelle Smith of Wondai.
He was born on a Sunday morning when Gil was due to play tennis – which he had to forfeit – to visit Michelle and newborn Robert in hospital.
He was a trouble-free baby and learnt to walk at 10 months. He liked the idea of having a younger brother who arrived three years later, named Mark, and then his little sister two years after this. While Susan’s parents had just named the newborn girl Karen, Robert was adamant it had to be changed. He won and she was thereafter named Susan, as she is today.
Although most will recall Robert as chatty and warm, the truth is, Robert was a very quiet brother. He was not a believer in fighting, except with Mark about who owned what toy; or drama; not creating high emotion moments – instead he played with Mark and I and the neighbourhood kids. Cricket in the backyard; or taking Mark and I yabbying at the dam in the horse paddock on Old Charlestown Road were frequent activities.
For hours he would read – anything technical or fiction books like Biggles and Shogun. He loved Lego, drawing boats and planes, putting together models and painting them. This suggests early evidence of technical thinking and problem solving. His kindness and warmth went to all family, and on a Saturday lunch time, you would most likely find him with Nanna Smith after wrangling himself an invitation for a roast lunch.
He wasn’t really into sports but played soccer and junior cricket and squash – we think mostly to appease his parents. He was the champion of his age division in swimming – primarily because he was the only competitor in his age group!
Robert joined the Cubs alongside his brother Mark, and progressed to Scouts, where Robert became a Patrol Leader and the impressive skills of knot tying began. A favourite saying of his was – if you can’t tie knots – tie lots.
In adolescence, Robert became interested in all things army, Star Wars, Japanese swords and Ninjas. He took up Karate and obtained his black belt which gave him great delight.
Our family holidays were spent at Hervey Bay or Maroochydore with the Smiths or the Gold Coast with the Barkles.
Smithy’s love of fishing began off the Woody Point Jetty with his Pop Smith and Uncle Don Harm, his role models, and with his cousins Tony and Donna-Maree. He joined the Kingaroy Sport Fishing Club, and with his Kingaroy mates, he had many fishing adventures, particularly at Boondooma Dam and BP Dam. Paul Probert, his parent’s best man, also played a big part in his love of fishing.
During this time, it was important to Robert to learn the technicalities of fishing – to understand weather conditions, the effect the moon and tide had on the bite, knowing his tackle and or course, those well tied knots.
He was a conscientious student, commonly referred to as the “walking encyclopedia”, attending Wondai State Primary School until grade 10 and then Kingaroy High School for grade 11 and 12. During those years he made good life-long friends, with too many to list.
Robert went on to study Engineering at USQ University in Toowoomba, but he knew that wasn’t his true calling, his true north.
Soon after moving in with Mark at Brisbane, Robert worked as a modelmaker for an architectural firm.
During this time, he met Ross, Susan’s future husband along with many other significant people in the Australian National Sportfishing Association fraternity. The puddle-fisherman was quickly lured into the blue-water fishing scene.
He knew his job in Brisbane was not a forever role, and Robert returned to Wondai where he was employed by Kingaroy Shire Council as a Technical Officer. This job was only a stepping stone, even though he was a well-liked employee and loved his job. Robert was very proud of rolling out the rural numbering scheme – the star picket sign at the entrance to many rural properties, and the passing lane between Crawford-Memerambi.
The chapter of fishing as a central focus started to be written. Robert bought a Triton 4 “in survey” boat and saw the chance to operate a business that combined work with play and in this setting, he finally found his true north.
He moved in with BJ and began taking clients on Smithy’s Fishing Charters, which would launch from the Mooloolaba Coastguard. As his business grew, he bought a new vessel and started launching from the pontoon at the Kawana Pub. Robert loved his pontoon and had such affection for all the staff at the Pub.
Smithy soon joined the Sunshine Coast Sports Fishing Club – a club and the members he loved dearly.
There are many achievements that came during this time, however among the many, Smithy was most proud of:
- Completing a world-renowned Black Marlin season at Cairns
- Completing his professional skipper licence at a course in Bundaberg
- And being the captain of the Sunshine Coast Game Fishing Club
If Robert wasn’t physically on the water fishing, he was either lying on the lounge chair or sitting at the Captain’s office chair watching YouTube clips about fishing or talking or texting with one of his many friends about fishing.
In the Easter of 2009, I received a call from Robert late on Good Friday – asking could he come for dinner at my house where my parents were staying.
But his voice was different and hesitant and after a long exhale, there was a follow up sentence, “and can I bring someone with me?” I straight away said yes, thinking it would be Brooksey or another fishing friend. But then there was another pause, “and she is a girl.” I then had to ask if the girl had a name, to which was the first time he muttered the words “Jules”.
I knew a new life chapter was soon to be written. We hung up and I told my parents. I swear that my dad did the closest thing to a jig that I ever have seen. A second later, there was another call from Robert, where he said – and I forgot to say, she doesn’t eat fish! Two thoughts flashed into my head. Firstly, did this “Jules” know what Robert’s passion and job was? And where on earth am I going to find something for this non-fish-eating Jules to eat at 5:00pm on Good Friday? All worked out, and on that day, we met the love of his life – the woman who completed him. We loved Jules’ bandy knees, biggest heart, gorgeous smile and most delightful belly-rumbling laugh, and so clearly did Robert.
Unbeknown to his family prior to this day, Robert had joined the internet dating scene before the time of swiping right, and on RSVP, widened his geographical search area and came across the profile of a girl in Wamuran he decided to pursue, a Miss Julie-Anne Koppen. Our Jules.
Robert had a knack of tracking his major life events with the weather. Conveniently for Robert, he met and pursued Jules during the windy “low fish” season of February / March of 2009. That windy six-week period gave them time to solidify their relationship with a lot of visits to the Wamuran farm with Leo and Nonnie, Jule’s parents. Jules must have ticked all the right boxes and in his words, she was the “first girl he could take home to meet his Mum”.
Robert knew it was time to make this permanent. After asking Leo’s permission, Robert took Jules back to the site of their first date at the Bribie Passage, and on bended knee, asked her to marry him.
Given Robert’s knack of tying the weather to life events, considerately ensuring all fishermen were not offshore, Robert and Jules were married at the Sunshine Beach Surf Club on July 16, 2011, in rainy, windy, almost cyclonic weather conditions. Fittingly, whales could be seen breaching in the background during their wedding photos. They had an amazing honeymoon in Thailand.
Windy days were Robert and Jules’ favourite ones, which meant that they were able to spend the day together, often starting the day at breakfast in a local café and walking the dog he didn’t want.
A new chapter unfolded when Joel was born on July 30, 2013. After a difficult delivery, Jules was separated from the newborn Joel for four hours. During this time, the special bond began, with Robert lovingly nurturing the newborn Joel against his hairy chest, while Grandma Nonnie watched nearby.
Joel will forever be Robert’s greatest achievement – in their short time together, he has instilled so much knowledge and kindness, and so many important morals and values in Joel, and he is a true mini-Smithy.
Joel cherished time with his dad, bream fishing at the pontoon while he cleaned the boat. What Joel loved the most, is when it was just him and his dad in the car together, where they could have great chats, frequently about their great shared loves of fishing and football. Joel’s dad was so proud of Joel’s recent acceptance into the rugby league school of excellence program.
The final chapter of Robert’s life was one we did not want to write so early, and it feels like a eulogy does not do justice to the character of Robert, so we have taken some exerts from the many amazing tributes that are flowing in.
We will share a few to capture a small essence of Rob, Robert, Smithy.
David Goodwin, cousin: “He was a humble, strong, caring and knowledgeable. He lived and died doing what he loved, which not many can say.”
Johnathan Tully, cousin: “I will remember Robert with great fondness. Two moments in particular have stayed with me for all those years. One was on the Bunginderry quarters lawn when I was about seven, Robert was the first person to explain to me that ‘gay’ also meant homosexual. I had only thought it meant happy. And another memory is on the jetty of the Bunginderry dam while we tried to catch silver perch. I was tying on a hook with some god-awful knot. Catching a glimpse of my monstrosity, instead of mocking me, Robert gently pulled out his tackle box and patiently taught me a handful of knots. I still use those knots to this day and I remember the kindness and thoughtfulness with which he taught me.”
David Granville & Andrew Orr: “Smithy was a mentor to many and a wealth of information. He knew just about every boat ever built and who owned it or ran it. If you were offshore Mooloolaba, you knew his voice and chances are, he knew yours.”
BJ, friend: “A true gentle giant. A giant in many ways – size, heart and character. He gave so much to the fishing community. Respected by all that knew him.”
Jim Brown, friend: “Basically, gave me the love of boating and fishing.”
Adam, friend: “He was a gentle human who was kind and genuine and a loving husband and dad. We messaged each other almost every day for years, like I’m sure he did with other guys. He helped me become a fisherman. He shared secret fishing marks that he found and he was the first and only person I’d share back with.”
Mick Guse, friend: “Rob was an ordinary guy, with an extraordinary ability to make anyone in any circle feel at ease.”
