Trevor marshals the festival forces

By Joan Upton,
TREVOR Longmuir joined the Yakkerboo Festival committee 13 years ago when committee members were dropping out and fears were held for the future of the festival.
As vice-president for the past four years he has worked with the committee to ensure that Yakkerboo retains its original concept of a free community festival for the children of the Cardinia Shire.
Most of Trevor’s 69 years have been spent making a living from the land. He was raised on a market garden in Keysborough and at the age of 12 was earning pocket money weeding the vegetables and hand-rearing his own calves.
After completing a motor mechanic apprenticeship, he packed his bags and worked at several cattle stations in the outback. His interest in the cattle industry flourished and he began dairy farming at Narre Warren.
During this time he also found time to found and lead a youth group and become a member of the CFA at Narre Warren.
Always looking out for new challenges, Trevor joined the livestock industry as an agent 40 years ago and began a cattle transport business.
A great believer in some of the older bush traditions, he still musters cattle on horseback but does admit that his horses these days are a bit smaller and quieter than those he rode 50 years ago.
Trevor has said many times that he has the perfect job and lifestyle and so, when the recent floods hit Queensland and Victoria, he decided to take action.
He formed a committee of interested people at the Victorian Lifestock Exchange with the aim of raising funds for the flood-affected farmers in those areas.
Through the support of the VLE and Pakenham Rotary they were able to raise and distribute all donations to those most in need in local farming communities.
The Yakkerboo Festival has always had a place on the Longmuir family calendar. Trevor’s children, and then grandchildren, have been a part of the Festival over the years.
Because Trevor enjoys his role of chief parade marshal every year, he decided that the family should join in all the fun of the parade.
Five years ago, he trained two rams to pull a cart driven by his grand-daughter and aptly called Rams Transport.
The next year he trained two bullocks (Milo and Otis) to pull a cart laden with grandchildren and their friends.
Because Trevor was organising the float entrants, the job of leading and coaxing the various animals in the parade each year fell to unsuspecting family and friends who just hoped that the animals would not bolt or that no wheels fell off carts.
Once again, Trevor and other committee members will be marshalling the Yakkerboo Parade entrants for 2011, but this time the family will be free to watch the parade pass by.