On Sunday 7 January 1945, John William Brown drowned in the surf at The Entrance, aged only 18.
He and a friend, Stanley Ward, had been surfing between The Entrance and North Entrance, when John was caught in an undertow and taken away from the shore.
Stanley struggled to bring him back to the beach where surf lifesavers applied artificial respiration for more than an hour but couldn’t revive him.
John had been born at Young in 1927 and spent his early years in the district.
He was educated at Gosford School and at the time of his death was taking a course in mechanics.
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His parents, Michael and Eileen Brown of Pacific Highway, Wyong, formerly of Caragabal and Young, donated his childhood teddy bear to the Young Historical Museum where it is on display.
John was interred in the Church of England portion of Jilliby cemetery.
His uncle, Les Brown, presided at the organ at the church service.
His grandparents, John and Alice of ‘Trafalgar’ dairy farm on Back Creek Road, and uncle and aunt William Edwin (Ted) and Ida Brown were also present.
John’s father Michael Anthony James Brown was born at Young in 1902, to John Louis/ Lewis Brown and his wife Alice Maude née Jennings.
At 23 in 1925, Michael married Eileen Annie May Facer at Young.
They soon took up land at ‘Belara’, Caragabal and Michael was treasurer of the Caragabal branch of the Agricultural Bureau.
According to the 1932 electoral roll, Michael was a farmer.
By 1934, though, the family had moved to Mile End Road, Rouse Hill where Michael worked as a dairyman.
A few years later, the family moved to ‘Excelsior’ on the Pacific Highway, Wyong and Michael continued to work as a milk vendor.
A few years after their son’s death, however, Michael and Eileen moved back to Young, appearing on the electoral role from 1949.
Michael, also known as Mick, became a mercer, selling sporting clothes and footwear through his shop ‘Mick Brown & Co.’ at 185 Burrowa Street, Young, just next to the Town Hall.
Mick continued with this shop into the 1970s.
Both Michael and Eileen died in 1980 and are buried in the Young Lawn Cemetery.
If you know more about this family, please contact the Young Historical Museum.
Karen Schamberger – Young Historical Society
