For Bill and Lindsay Brodie, farming life was simple and rewarding. They spent their lives tinkering, creating things and playing major roles in the community. They became well known as the owners of the blue A-Model Ford. The car was purchased by their father in 1930. It still has the original number plate and was driven into town every week by Bill, and after Bill's death, Lindsay until about 2012. They became a little A-Model eccentric: Other A-Model Fords, bought second hand, were converted into various farm machinery. The farm ute in 1943. A tractor in 1950 made partly using an army Bren gun carrier. The tractor was awarded “Best Feral Ute” at the Koroit Show in 1998 and 2002.
Bill and Lindsay’s parents William Brodie and Lillian Bell were married at the Warrnambool Methodist Church on 17th June 1914. Bill was born on 20th January 1918 and Lindsay on 8th August 1925. William and Lillian purchased their Wangoom Road farm in May 1937 and moved into their new home in 1939. After their father died in 1942 and mother in 1966, Bill and Lindsay continued to live on and run the farm. In the early days they were Grasmere Butter Factory Suppliers and then loyal Murray Goulburn Suppliers. They milked 80 cows in their walk-through dairy and ran beef cattle in the later years.
Bill and Lindsay were self-taught engineers and mechanics. They loved engines and tinkering in their workshop creating new from old. They sourced most of their materials from the local tips. Bill and Lindsay maintained the Wangoom CFA trucks for years using their automotive inventiveness and resourcefulness.
Bill and Lindsay were very community minded, particularly in anything Wangoom, but also in the wider Warrnambool community.
They attended working bees to clear the site for the Wangoom Hall. They helped at the Wangoom Recreation Reserve and supported Wangoom efforts in Red Cross and White Elephant Sales.
They were generous donors to the Warrnambool Workshop (WDEA) and to Chaplaincy in Schools.
They were members of the Wangoom Co-operative, the owners of the Wangoom Store.
Each received Outstanding Service medals and Honorary Life Memberships from the CFA.
They received Certificates for recognition of their service to the Wangoom Hall and Certificates of Appreciation for Voluntary Service.
Bill died in 2009 aged 91 and Lindsay in 2017 aged 92.