General News
3 October, 2025
Generous stalwart remembered
TRIBUTES have flowed for Camperdown stalwart Sue Cole, who is being remembered as community-minded and generous with with her time and money.
Mrs Cole died last Monday, aged 91, and is survived by four children, nine grandchildren and one great grandchild.
Corangamite Shire Council Mt Elephant Ward councillor Nick Cole, one of Mrs Cole’s children, said he remembered his mother as someone who did a lot for the community.
“She liked doing community work, spending a lot of time helping out,” he said.
“She always helped out with various things such as Red Cross and Save the Children.
“She was on the hospital board – she was the first female president of the board – when the Camperdown Hospital was known as the Camperdown District Hospital, and she was made a Life Governor.
“She joined the Camperdown and District Historical Society five years after its inception in 1960, but she was there for over 50 years.
“She had some insider knowledge because she grew up in the district and knew a lot of the people – she was a mine of information with an interest in history.”
The historical society put out a statement from all of Mrs Cole’s fellow volunteers, who said they would miss her company, good humour and friendship.
“Sue was a very valued and valuable member at the heritage centre, where she could be found nearly every Tuesday,” the statement said.
“She made firm friendships with her fellow volunteers and loved greeting and helping visitors.
“Her knowledge on local people, places and events was legendary and will be missed greatly by many in the community.
“The answer to numerous research queries started with ‘asking Sue’ – her recall often resulting in very entertaining stories.”
Mrs Cole’s love of the historical society is best seen in her 60 years of membership, including her five years as president and receiving a life membership in 2014.
Cr Cole said his mother, who was born in 1934, could remember the war years.
“She could remember the war years as a little girl because my grandfather ran the farm, and he used to run other farms as well because a lot of farmers went away to the war,” he said.
“They had to take on responsibility for other farms as well while they were away, so my grandfather was away a lot and my grandmother, mum and aunt ran the farm for a while.”
In addition to her love of helping the community and history, Mrs Cole also had a deep passion for gardening.
Camperdown Botanic Gardens and Arboretum Trust president Emma Bell said she knew Mrs Cole since they were both kids and had always loved her garden.
“We have been running the trust to rejuvenate the gardens in Camperdown for about 12 years now, and Sue has always found time to devote her interest and energy to make our public gardens better as well as running her own beautiful garden,” she said.
“She was someone who was always quite happy to dig things up and get her hands dirty.
“She was there at the very beginning of the Botanic Gardens Trust – 12 years ago, things were at a very low eb.
“It was really just lawns and trees, but thanks to a fairly small group of enthusiasts it’s now looking fairly wonderful – Sue played a big part in that.
“She was such a worker as well as being such a gracious lady.”
Mrs Bell said Mrs Cole would be sorely missed by the Botanic Garden and Arboretum Trust, recalling a time where she went on the front foot in the interest of the trust.
“There’s a really old house on the edge of Camperdown which used to belong to a man named Butland who bred daffodils – all different varieties of daffodils,” she said.
“Over the years, that house has had changes of owners, but the daffodils had always come up in the paddock on the road towards Cobden.
“When we heard the place was being sold most recently, and it looked like it was going to be subdivided, Sue one of the first people to say ‘we’ve got to go and rescue some of those Butland daffodils’.
“Sue was there with a spade digging up the Butland daffodils and subsequently planting them up in the gardens.
“She didn’t wait around for a good idea to be tossed about and maybe get lost – she got in and did it, which was impressive.”
Mrs Bell said even in recent years, Mrs Cole would go out to working bees and provide morning tea despite not being able to garden herself.
“She said, ‘I feel bad that I can’t do much, but at least I brought up some morning tea’,” she said.
“She was very alive to her social responsibilities.
“She was a very practical person.”
Cr Cole said his mother, always had a strong connection to the Camperdown district, riding on horseback to and from Chocolyn School.
“She coached the Bookaar Hockey Club and was the founding member of the Bookaar Archery Club – rather than just doing football and cricket, mum made sure we did horse-riding, hockey and archery as well,” he said.
“She organised the long lunch in Camperdown for the 100th anniversary for the clocktower.
“There were about 100 metres of tables and chairs set up down the avenue – family groups and friends all got together and just had a block on the table.
“Various cafes did different sections of the meals and brought it out – it was unique and extraordinary.”
Camperdown and District Historical Society vice president Bob Lambell said Mrs Cole had a very strong historical connection to Camperdown as the great great granddaughter of James Dawson and great granddaughter of Isabella Taylor.
“Sue loved chatting with First Nations visitors to the Heritage Centre,” he said.
“They in turn appreciated her openness and genuine interest in them – they were perhaps a little awestruck by Sue’s ancestry.
“Sue was the keeper and giver of Dawson treasure – she donated James Dawson’s scrapbook to the State Library Victoria, which has since been digitised and is available online.
“Shortly before she went into care at Sunnyside, Sue donated a trunk full of clothes worn by her great grandmother Isabella.
“A beautiful black velvet dress worn by Isabella now adorns a mannequin at the Heritage Centre.”
Cr Cole said her connection to the area also persisted in recent history.
“She lived virtually all her life within 21 kilometres of the clocktower,” he said.
“She only shifted one hill across from where she grew up.
“She did go travelling a few times overseas – dad played cricket for one of the Australian teams, and they went to America, India, England and Europe.
“She also went to New Zealand a few times.”
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