Keith Frank Roylance

Keith Frank Roylance was the eldest and only son of Robert and Ethel Roylance. He was born at the Ada England Nursing Home, Bradshaw Street, Wooloowin, Brisbane on the 18 February, 1926. Dr MacGregor delivered the baby, assisted by Nurse Ada England. Keith Frank was named after his father, Robert Frank Roylance who, in turn, was named after his great grandmother, Francis Roylance from County Cheshire, England.

His parents were  married in Brisbane on 2 May 1925 at the Baptist Church, Windsor Road. They built their home in 1926 at Gordon Park. It was a Queenslander, featuring wide verandahs, large windows and doorways that captured the cool breezes on a hot day.Frank was a keen gardener and his family described him as having 'green fingers'. The large garden beds had vegetables and flowers.

The Roylances were one of the first families to settle at Gordon Park.  They had few neighbours and plenty of bush for evening walks. In the evening after work, Frank walked in the Gordon Park hills in search of the large (as big as your hand) wild mushrooms for the evning meal.

The neighbourhood families came together to share children's birthdays. The family album features several pages dedicated to the first birthday of Keith celebrating this happy time with  family and neighbourhood friends.

When Keith was five his sister was born in 1931. She was called Beryl Maud. She had bright eyes, a cheerful smile and a warm personality. At seven years old the children were baptised in the Methodist Church, Gordon Park on July 3, 1932. The certificate of baptism read: I Hereby certify that I have this day at Gordon Park Church baptised Keith Frank son of Robert Frank Roylance and Ethel Maud Roylance nee Gallant who was born at Brisbane in February 18th 1926 on July 3, 1932. Officiating Minister - Rev Kidd. Both children attended Wooloowin State School on Gympie Road. They were clever children and progressed successfuly up the grades.

Out of school the children studied piano and singing with Mrs Ward, the local music teacher.  She often featured them in her annual music concert, and one year she cast them together in the item, Tea for Two, a popular song by Vincent Youmans and Irving Caesar. She sometimes asked Keith to performed on the harmonica and he played it throughout his life. He took his harmonica to Borneo, Indonesia  as a member of the Australian Airforce fighting for Australia in the 1945 Pacific war.

Ethel signed them up as members of the Kangaroo Club.  The club was part of a social phenomenon of the early days of radio of the 1930s and 1940s that enabled radio stations to build a loyal audience of  women listeners, and children. The activities covered sports and cultural events, short story and poem writing, recitals in the radio station studio, art exhibitions, days out to the zoo, boat rides, and other activities to keep the children entertained, educated and occupied.  One year Keith was invited by the radio producer to give a singing recital in the radio station studio. It was a  moment he never forgot.

In 1935, when he was in third grade, his father died from Murray River fever that is caused by a mosquito-borne virus. He was bitten by an infected mosquito and fell seriously ill. He had a short illness. The day he died his sister, Maud Roylance, was staying at the Roylance house to help Ethel. His son  remembered the day his father died.  'I was swinging on the front gate. Aunty Maudie came down the path crying. She grabbed me to her ample bosom and wailed‘ You poor fatherless boy! I had no idea what she was talking about.'

Keith's first job was at Young's Pharmacy, Albion when he was thirteen years old. To win the job, he had to own a bicycle. His uncle Edgar bought him a bike so that he could deliver the pharmacy parcels, goods and messages. Keith worked at Youngs for several years. His second job was as a general storeman at Wilkinson's Wholesale Chemist, packing and delivering pharmaceutical products to branch storesfor four years.

As a teenager, Keith enjoyed an active social life . His sister remembered

'At seventeen Keith enjoyed going to the pictures at the Grange with Tommy Ord and George Whitty to watch a good movie and meet the girls. He also loved going to parties and dances with his mates. His fishing weekends were regular.  He would ride his bike to Pinkenba with his mates and they would fish most of the weekend. They would be dressed as old hobos  and looked rather untidy. Having fished all night, he would return home and would  sleep all day. Mum cleaned the dozen or so large fish.' 

In later years he joined the Waterside Workers Fishing Club and travelled most weekends with his mates to Moreton Island and North Stradbroke Island on the club's boat. His mates, Kenny Grove, an ex-Rat of Toobruk and Brian Kenyon, were keen amateur fishermen and enjoyed 'surf fishing’. Keith's passion for fishing continued into his later years, and as an elderly man he several times visted his New Zealand friends for a fishing holiday. In particular, he had many happy adventures with Bob D'Arx fishing on the North Island.

With the commencement of war in the Pacific, Keith enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force (AIF) on his eighteenth brithday. After military training at Sandgate, he joined the forces landing on the beaches of Borneo, Indonesia. The Australian assault forces captured and island, and the air force personnel built airstrips for the allied  bombers. He volunteered to go behind enemy lines with five other men, to build an airstrip on a remote Pacific Island. During that time he earned his promotion from Private to Lance Corporel. He was honorably discharged in 1946 and returned to civilian life.

ROYLANCE KEITH FRANK : Service Number - 151482 : Date of birth - 18 Feb 1926 : Place of birth - BRISBANE QLD : Place of enlistment - BRISBANE : Next of Kin - ROYLANCE ETHEL

As an ex-serviceman returning from the Pacific War, he was one of many unemployed men looking for work. In 1946 he was employed in a Brisbane business called Buzacott Motors working in the spare parts department. Buzacott engines were popular Australian made engines that were advertised as offering the greatest value for money because their quality was high and their service dependable. This was a very happy time for him. In 1957 he was promoted to Spare Parts Manager, a position he held for eleven years. When the firm was liquidated, the company directors offered him the dealership in  the Buzacott machine spare parts. He went into  partnership with his Pat (wife) and accountant friend, Bill and Barbara Russell. The small business was called R.& R. Spare Parts. The business continued until the death Bill Russell in the 1970s.

Keith worked for Winchcombe Carsons as a Marine Spare Parts Manager from 1960-1974. The business specialised in boat engines, Jetskis, GPS units, fish finders, oars, ropes and anchors.When Winchcombe Carsons closed it doors to business in 1974 he worked at Outboard Marines, Archerfield as the Spare Parts Manager. During his time there he established company branches for Outboard Marines, South Brisbane and Archerfield.

Keith retired in 1984 and lived at Gordon Park, Brisbane. After a long illness he died in 1995 at Mt Oliviet Hospital, Brisbane. His funeral was held at the Holy Spirit Church, Wooloowin and was attended by many family and friends (150 people) including his wife, Pat; three daughters, Robyn, Philippa, Anne; eight grandchildren (total then born); sister Beryl; and in-laws Manfield, McKendry, Priston, Siwers and Bartlett. Several dozen old work and childhood friends attended the ceremony including George Whitty. Two eulogies were read: Julie Roylance, for son Richard, then in England on a Churchill Scholarhip; and Leo Bartlett, son-in-law and husband of Philippa. [2]

Keith is buried at the Albany Creek Crematorium. His grave is located near to his mother and Uncles at the Albany Creek Chapel. Richard and family interred placed his ashes in July 1995. In 1995 Legacy laid a memorial plaque in his memory at the Returned Serviceman’s Memoral Park, Albany Creek. This park is located across the highway from where his gave is located.

His father, Robert Frank Roylance, is buried in the Roylance grave at Balmoral cemetery, Brisbane with his mother Hannah Roylance [nee Brocklehurst Stubbs], a first settler from England in 1883, and infant sister (Edith Roylance).

Keith married Mary Patricia Roylance (Pat) in 1953. They had four children named Robyn, Philippa, Richard and Anne. Vale Keith