Way Back Then

Morisset, the gateway to Lake Macquarie, is one place that has never lost its community feel and connection with its past. It all started from a clearing in the bush, to the

progression of a village, and then into a sprawling town.
In 1984 when together with my husband Phil Collins, we commenced the “Morisset & Westlake Courier” newspaper, the rst independent tabloid newspaper for Morisset & District, Beryl was one of our strongest supporters and retained any history snippet published in her les. She was then a prominent business woman of the town, she led by example, and was involved in many community affairs especially the Morisset Golf Club.
For decades, Beryl was collecting material with an intention to record the town’s history in a book. Beryl for decades has lled her ling cabinets to overflowing with newspaper clippings and photographs she had collected.

“One day I will write a book and record all these stories,” she said. And she did. Her rst comprehensive production – a massive 480-page book entitled “Iron Horse and Iron Bark – History of Morisset and District” became a reality published in 2002 and was an instant success, and now

“This book led to an unprecedented flood of information and old photographs from locals,” said Beryl. “So this sequel book could not have happened without the input from many iconic local families. Beryl’s determination and commitment to compile a sequel to her rst book has to be commended

– it’s taken 13 long years, her time, energy and passion to do what she has achieved.

“We often hear older people relating events that happened a long time ago as being “Way Back Then”, as if positioned their memories to the fore to bring back the clear details. Many times we hear “Life was more simple” or way back thenwedidthingsdifferently”, she said.

“How many times have we heard that? Yet to appreciate the present we must visit the past and what better way than through photographs and the written word?”.