A devotion to the wellbeing of others, an aspiration to give his best, and a witty appreciation of life in all its complexities are just some of the characteristics of Roma's Bryan Payne, who was laid to rest on Saturday.
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Well-known around Queensland in local government, engineering, drought relief and rugby league circles, Bryan epitomised the Rotary ideal of service above self, where his contributions have been described as immeasurable.
He began life in Kensington, London on November 9, 1955, soon after travelling to Nigeria with his mother Patricia, where his father Derek was working as a radiologist, setting up X-ray departments for the African Health Service.
After the arrival of his brother John, the family returned to England briefly before migrating to Australia by boat when Bryan was six, with another brother, Robert well on the way.
The family settled in Brisbane where Bryan excelled academically at the Carina Primary School, taking up drummer duties in the school marching band, and later studying at Sydney Technical High School.
His intellect was evident early on, earning six A level passes in the School Certificate Exam and being awarded a Commonwealth Secondary Scholarship, making him among the top students in the state at the time, despite being a year younger than the others in his class.
He studied civil engineering at the University of Queensland, which is where his editorial excellence first became apparent, via the infamous Greasepot faculty magazine.
His work to create several publications in his youth, such as the Sherwood Young Anglican Fellowship newsletter, which he titled 'YAF YAK' and including himself in a 'Mate of the Month' calendar, were early showcases of his humour and attention to detail.
After graduating in 1977, Bryan wrote letters to every town and shire council in Queensland offering himself as a candidate for employment.
His efforts were rewarded with the offer of a job with Calder and Brandon in Chinchilla, and he moved to Roma in 1979 to run the office above the Roma Town Council office, the start of 45 years as a 'local'.
The bulk of his working career involved providing engineering support to local government clients throughout south west and central Queensland, and northern NSW, including the (former) Chinchilla, Murilla, Bendemere, Bungil, Roma Town, Waroo, Taroom, Bauhinia and Emerald shires, along with Balonne, Murweh, Paroo, Quilpie and Bulloo shires, and Blackall-Tambo for a time.
Thanks to the many changes in personnel at these councils over the years, Bryan served as a crucial link and repository of knowledge, particularly during the period of amalgamation.
In addition to civil infrastructure such as roads, stormwater, water and sewerage, he covered residential, commercial and community buildings and structures, and building certification.
He became a registered professional engineer in Queensland in 1983 and was actively involved in conducting assessments of potential candidates on behalf of the board, ensuring a high standard of professionalism was upheld.
In doing so, he mentored and guided many young engineers, being the sounding board and voice of reason for discussions on innumerable projects, drawing on his vast local and engineering knowledge to provide practical and cost effective solutions.
From Karumba's Barramundi Centre to the Morven Livestock Rail Hub, Bryan became the engineer councils called on to fix languishing infrastructure projects.
When he moved to Chinchilla, Bryan met his future lifelong partner Lorraine. They married in 1979, and Lorraine became the backbone for everything Bryan was able to achieve during 39 years of marriage, before her passing in 2019.
Following his appointment to director of the Roma office of Brandon & Associates, the couple welcomed two children, David and Carrie.
As with everything in his life, Bryan threw himself into their activities, including the P&C associations of the Roma schools they attended, and both coaching junior league teams in the Roma and District Junior Rugby League, and managing district representative sides.
Several of the boys that Bryan coached remember the hand-made coaching manuals he published on the work photocopier, and the KFC buckets he brought to school, so his junior players could watch the Kangaroos play, under the guise of coaching.
Bryan's contributions through Rotary to the region, Queensland, and the Rotary International family, cannot be understated.
His dedication to Rotary district drought relief programs meant he not only assisted in raising millions of dollars for producers struggling with the tragedy of drought, but he devised a whole-of-community approach that recognised small businesses were also impacted by the financial crunch drought brings.
It employed an impartial third party, the southern Rural Financial Counselling Service, to distribute vouchers that could only be drawn down on in local towns.
His dedication in this area had a profound impact on thousands of people who never knew his name.
Through the activities of Roma's Rotary Club, Bryan participated in its involvement with the the Pinaroo Retirement Village and the Independent Living Units, and as Rotary district assistant governor, was dedicated to the Rotary Youth Driver Awareness program.
Thanks to the impact he had on the lives of many people in Queensland, he was nominated for Queensland Volunteer of the Year in 2022, an acknowledgement he felt embarrassed to receive.
It was through Rotary that Bryan's family grew over the years, when son David met his wife Fernanda through the bonds forged in a student exchange program, and the subsequent arrival of two grandchildren, Sophie and Alexander.
Above all, Bryan was known for his social presence, and for being adept at forging connections, always ready with a beer, a glass of PG or red, and a whisky or three.
Friends and family remember his attempts to devise the perfect footy tipping system, his lead foot, his warmth and humour, and the cartoons and memes he loved sharing.
His presence was a gift, and his absence will be deeply felt.
Bryan passed away on Monday, May 27, surrounded by his family, and was buried with his wife Lorraine in Chinchilla's Tanderra lawn cemetery on Saturday, June 15.
