Peter left as a 20 year old to follow his passion of playing football, and has travelled extensively over the past few decades.

Along the way, he suffered a brain haemorrhage which almost killed him.

But the lure of coming home eventually caught up with him and he is now settled back in his home town and doing a bit of handyman work.

Peter, 57, was born and raised in Parkes – the son of Buck and Betty, and brother to Deb and Clint.

He attended Parkes Public School and Parkes High before leaving to work on the railway for four years.

Like most locals at the time, he was very active in all sports, particularly hockey, rugby league and cricket – “anything to do with a ball,” he explained.

When he was 20, Peter decided to accept an offer to play league in Townsville.

“Bob Fitzpatrick talked me into it and I joined South Townsville as a half.  

In fact, we are having a reunion in September of this year,” Peter said.

He didn’t stay long, returning to Parkes but again he was on the move, going to Queanbeyan to link up with the Queanbeyan Blues, under coach Don Furner.

“It was too cold down there, so I then went to Wollongong, with Illawarra Wests, under Don Parish.”

Peter married in 1980 and moved to Sydney, playing footy in the Western Suburbs.

He also continued his other sporting passion of hockey, with Moorebank.

Work continued in the building industry as a plasterer.

But a dramatic occurrence saw him change his lifestyle considerably.

“I had a brain haemorrhage and was lucky to be alive,” he said.

“We were celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary and was about to get the cake.  I got out of the car and had a pain in the neck.

“I couldn’t walk straight and thought something was up.  I asked to use a phone to ring my wife and tell her to meet me at the hospital.  The shop owner rang the ambulance and I had a heart attack in the ambulance.

“I thought my face was about to explode because I was haemorrhaging.

“Thankfully everything worked out.   But when I went into hospital, there were 10 in for similar conditions.  Only one, me, came out – seven died and the other two required assisted living.

“I think because of my fitness, I survived.

“Three months later, I was all good and have been ever since.  I have been able to lead a normal life.

“I went back playing hockey although at first I was quite hesitant until I was talked into giving it a go.   I have not worried about it too much since then.

“That incident gave me the incentive to keep working, but to slow down.  So I am always thankful for what I have.”

After about 25 years living in the Parramatta/Guildford area, Peter was ready to get out of the city and moved to the central coast.

“I used to catch the train to Sydney to work, and still played hockey with the Veterans of a Wednesday night in the city.

About seven years ago, Peter decided to join his son Jay on the Gold Coast and after a short while, decided to go further north to Gladstone.

“I worked my way up the coast working here and there and eventually finished back in Townsville, 35 years after my first trip there.  I still knew my way around.”

This year, Peter was in Cairns and said it just hit him – “I just wanted to come home.”

“I’d had enough travelling.  I’d been pretty well everywhere and knew people in most towns through sport.  

“I still run in to them from time to time, people I have not seen in years.

“I was no longer interested in being on the road, it was time to stop.

“Wherever you go, something always reminds you of home, and I had reached a point where I wanted to come back and be with Mum and Deb.

“And Jay is now in Canberra so it is easy for him as well.”

Peter said things have not changed much in all those years.

“It’s like I have never been away,” he said.

“You drive around town and see the hills.  I used to think they were steep, but they’re really small now,” he laughed.

“You see the homes of your old mates, remember the people who lived in the houses.

“Some of them are dead now, or not here, but you still remember.

“The memories are priceless, you don’t lose them…I remember we used to throw rocks at houses of some of the teachers,” he laughed.

“It’s great to run into locals that I haven’t seen in more than 30 years. 

“People look at me and I can see them thinking, ‘I know you but….’

“It’s just good to be back.  

“They were great times, there’s something about this town.

“The one sad part is the people who are not here now.”