VALE COLIN ALEC WIGGINS
15/5/1943 - 9/7/2016
It is with sorrow that I inform of the passing of my life-long friend Colin Wiggins. Colin was born in Yallourn and was educated at the Yallourn State and Technical schools. His parents were old Yallourn identities and resided in Latrobe Avenue near the Technical school. Col was in my grade class for all of the years we attended school. We were both very competitive and strived to be both the best in school and in sport.
Col played senior football for Yallourn and was a first class player in cricket often opening the batting at country week level. I might add that his 2 brothers, Geoff and Brian, were also good at sport. On many occasions I can remember that both Col, Geoff and myself played footy together in the seniors. On another occasion Colin was dropped by the chairman of selectors (Col Benson) to which I objected strongly against. Col Benson had an immediate solution by then dropping me for Col. This bond of friendship has held over the years and the fond memories they bring overcomes the grief of his passing to some extent.
After graduating from College, Col began work with me at the Morwell Shire Council. After one year, Col left the Morwell Shire to work for the Shire of Narracan, followed by a stint at Euroa Council where he gained his qualifications as a Municipal Engineer. His first posting as a Shire Engineer was with the Edenhope Council, close to the South Australian border. Col made many friends from that area including Essendon champion footballer, Reg Burgess. We visited Col when he was in Edenhope and on one occasion came home with one of his Corgi pups. After a few years in Edenhope, Col became the Maffra Shire Council Engineer where he remained until retirement. Col retired early due to the Council amalgamations which caused a dramatic change for Shire Engineer careers. I can recall Col telling me that at one stage, former Shire Engineers felt redundant as they were offered much minor positions at a far less salary, or take a package. Col took the package and took to the golf course more often than usual. Whilst we were both in agreement that the Amalgamation of Councils was a good move, it could have been managed in far better ways. The lacking of experienced Shire Engineers continues to this present day in many Municipalities.
Col was also no slouch golfer and played off a very low handicap. His association with his brother-in-law, Brian Reiter and family of champion golfers may have contributed along the way. Brian Reiter and his brothers also attended the Yallourn Tech before their family moved to Melbourne. Brian married Col’s wife's sister and they remained great friends until Brian passed away two years ago. Col’s wife, Bernadette was one of the Ellis family that lived across the road from the Yallourn High School.
The year 2016 has been a sad year for the Wiggins family as Col’s younger brother Brian passed away in Thailand, where he had been living for a long period. Sport was often the topic when Col and I met up and when it came to bragging rights, the Wiggins families from Yallourn often came up trumps. The occasion that Col’s second cousin, Bradley Wiggins won two gold medals for Britain and again when he was 1st in the Tour De France. I must add that the Wiggins extended families were a great asset to Yallourn in its heyday and obviously now in other places.
Kind Regards
Norm Hall
(normhall43@bigpond.com)