Lennie Beadell 1923-1995

On Wednesday 17 May 1995, I was privileged to be among those attending the funeral and memorial service for Lennie Beadell.

It was only fifteen days prior to the service that I was visiting with Lennie at his Salisbury home. He was obviously quite ill with a respiratory problem, but typical of Lennie, he refused to admit the seriousness of the problem, and continued to discuss his forthcoming talks with the Friends of the Great Victoria Desert, something to which he was looking forward to with pleasure. We talked again, about the asteroid that was given his name, and I jokingly said "Well Lennie, they made you a heavenly body before your time". This comment rather amused Lennie, and after having regained his breath from having a good laugh, in a way that only Lennie could do, he acknowledged his pleasure in the moment. Of course, at that time, I was not to know how prophetic that little quip was to be.

Always the gentleman, he was concerned that I, and the family members with me, were comfortable and offered a cup of tea, saying "I will be in trouble with Anne if I don;t get you one. She is always telling me to make sure that everyone is comfortable, and that I should get them a cuppa". He spoke with pride and delight in his family and their achievements, seemingly of much more importance to him than anything that he had ever done. This was certainly a measure of the man who loved, and was so loved in return by those who shared, in ways that few of us get to do with our own, his life and times.

We left Lennie that day, as so many who had been before us, feeling better about ourselves and life in general. The news of his passing, a little over a week later, was of no great surprise, but received with some dismay, in that a person such as Lennie should be taken from this life that he loved to share selflessly with everyone with whom he came in contact.

The memorial service for Lennie was fittingly held in the chapel of Trinity College, Evanston Park, and the halls of learning for his grandchildren.

This was an emotional, yet uplifting experience for all three of four hundred people in attendance, who had come to bid bon voyage to this remarkable man who had touched so many lives. That this experience was so uplifting, was, in itself a tribute to the personal spirit of the man that we had come to honour. In true Lennie fashion, he again left us so that we were smiling, for having had the pleasure of his company on this earth.

To hear the stories recounted by friends and family of this gentle giant among men (in the spiritual sense), was an indication of the sheer force of the personality of this quiet, unassuming and gentle man, and his amazing leadership ability. I do not think that he ever had any comprehension of the word failure, nor do I believe that this word would have any place in his dictionary, as is proven not just by his physical feats, but in the love and respect engendered from all who he touched. Such feelings are not conferred upon mere mortals, but are reserved for those who are (and I cannot find an adequate word other than) special.

Lennie Beadell walked quietly upon this unknown country, navigating by the stars and opened up the heart of a nation. Now he walks among the stars themselves in the knowledge that he has reached the heart of Heaven. God Bless you Lennie, and may you have everlasting joy in creating the highways through Heaven for all who follow.

John Hough

A little about the man - Len Beadell

When the Australian National Council of Four Wheel Drive Clubs was formed, this extraordinary gentleman was invited to be its Patron, an invitation he readily accepted and for which we are all grateful.

Lennie, (as he preferred to be called), was employed by the Department of Defence and in the early 1950's, was given the task of mapping the Woomera Rocket Range, calculating the trajectories of the flight of the rockets, as well as the daunting task of surveying and making the service roads through what was then the unknown centre of Australia.

With the coming of the atomic age to this country, he was further given the task of surveying and locating the now infamous sites known as Maralinga and Emu (the most prominent sites in the testing of atomic devices in this country) among other sites within the boundaries of the Range.

Lennies feats, with a small but dedicated team of plant operators and mechanics are now legendary, and live on in detail through his books and video tapes (which are a must for anyone with an interest in the opening of the heart of Australia).

Sadly, Lennie has passed to a greater calling and his mortal body has been laid to rest, but his spirit remains with us and his mark on this Earth will remain etched in the red desert sands forever.

John Hough

See also Len Beadell's books and biography pages