A Special Class Guard, well known in many parts of the State, and especially between Kempsey and the Queensland border, made his last official trip on the North Coast Mail recently. After completing holidays and long service leave, he will retire from the Railway Service.
The guard is Joseph Aloysius Ratcliffe, whose service covers a period of over 40 years. For the last six years he has been working the North Coast Mail between Casino and Kempsey; for 11 years prior to that he worked the trains on the Ballina branch.
Mr. Ratcliffe was a member of a most outstanding family, very popular in the sporting world. In his younger days, as a cricketer, he represented the North Coast in Country Week competition, represented Railways, Interstate at Brunswick Heads, put up a record score of 268 runs in one innings. Averaged the best bowling in the Country Week games and Interstate railway matches in Brisbane. He also played with Balmain in Australian Rules football. Three of the Ratcliffe brothers played cricket in the Balmain team. Mr. Ratcliffe's brother, Andy, was wicket keeper for N.S.W., represented New South Wales in Australia versus A.I.F. and Gilligan's English team, also represented New South Wales in Australian Rules football. Another brother was the late Hon. W. Ratcliffe, Member for Botany and Member for Barwon, and former Minister for Railways. The well‑known architect, Mr. McKay, who has designed many Catholic buildings in the Diocese, is Mr. Ratcliffe's brother‑in‑law.
His noble character, his lovable disposition and his fine sense of humour endeared him to railwaymen and the public alike. On his last trip engine whistles farewelled him at various points. So loud and numerous were the blasts from the engine whistles in the yard at South Grafton that the "Daily Examiner" described his farewell here as a "rousing send‑off".
In Casino the same evening very high tribute was paid when a large number of people gathered to bid him and one of his colleagues farewell.
Mr. Ratcliffe who, by the way, is known to his friends as "Joe", and his wife have left Casino. They will move to their new home situated between Tuggerah Lakes and the sea when completed.
The earnest wish of Mr. Ratcliffe's many friends will be that in retirement, as he has certainly done during his years of labour, both he and his good wife, will ‑ to use the words of one of the Commissioners in his season's greetings to all employees ‑ "experience that spirit of well‑being and contentment which always accompanies the willing and faithful performance of our allotted tasks.
