Thomas worked with us at Human Powered over 2007-2009. We were extremely saddened to learn he passed away earlier this year. Here is a tribute to him.

THOMAS EDWIN JOHN ORANGE
1963 – 2009

Thomas Edwin John Orange was the youngest of seven children of the Rev’d David and Elvena Orange.  At the time David was Rector of Lakes Entrance.  His Mother was concerned about the management of her previous birth in the local (Bairnsdale) Hospital, so opted to have the birth at Bethesda in Richmond.  As it turned out, the birth was difficult, and the intervention of a specialist obstetrician made the difference between an unfortunate and a successful outcome.

By the time the family arrived in Box Hill in 1966, the other children were all at school, so Thomas had three years as the only child at home during the day, perhaps developing some of the initiative and independence he was later to show as an adult.  He enjoyed Mont Albert Primary School, and must have made an impression, the writer often over the years receiving inquiries about Thomas from one of his former teachers. A privilege he had was to be accompanied by his mother to school, where she also enjoyed hearing other children read.  His early years at High School were not so happy, but there was a more positive conclusion with a move to Kingswood College to successfully complete years 11 and 12.

Thomas joined 1st Mont Albert Scouts and in about 1975 attended the Scout Jamboree in Oamaru, New Zealand: he would later claim the trip as the first overseas trip by any member of the direct family.  He was also proud that he paid for the trip himself.  As a younger child he had travelled with the family on the Southern Aurora to Sydney and the South Coast to visit his paternal grandparents,  (the current trip by XPT bears little comparison), but perhaps the involvement with Scouts and the overseas trip was to be the catalyst that brought about his lifelong interest in travel and the outdoors.  His paternal grandfather in his early and married life, and after retirement was also adventurous in travel.

As a young boy Thomas followed his maternal grandfather, a nurseryman and gardener, around, and learnt some of his horticultural skills.  He also had some tuition in the use and care of the scythe in cutting grass.  Thomas enjoyed gardening from an early age.  His first paying job was probably mowing the lawn for Cliff and Jess Nowell.  Some fifty years before, the same Cliff Nowell had engaged Thomas’ uncle, Tom Pockett, to work with him pruning fruit trees.

After completing high school, Thomas enrolled in the Basic Electronics Certificate course at Box Hill TAFE, which he pursued full-time and part-time for several years.  He paid his way with a small mowing round and variously as a gas attendant, Volkswagen mechanic, then a storeman in a plastics factory.  When LP gas was a novelty for cars, a gas attendant was required to refuel the cars, wearing protective gloves and a coat.  The family vehicle had been a Volkswagen since 1957, so an interest in maintaining the vehicles is no surprise.  Dolph Slykhuis, who serviced the family car, by then a Kombi van, took Thomas under his wing and taught him his mechanical skills.  Dolph notes that he would defer to Thomas in more recent times when special electrical work was required.  As recently as early this year, Thomas helped in doing some work with Dolph on his son’s car.  Other things being equal, Thomas’ work Kombi will escort him part of the way on his final journey today.  Dolph remembers Thomas as being a reliable worker, a thinker and a tinkerer.

Employment with RMIT in the Civil and Aeronautical Engineering Department in 1986 as a technical officer gave Thomas the financial footing to more seriously pursue his travel interests.  Some early highlights were helping to crew a Tall Ship down the Queensland coast in 1988, and a trip to the Northern Territory in 1989, including the Bungle Bungles and Litchfield National Park.  His connections with Boroondara Bushwalkers facilitated the trip to Everest Base Camp in 1992.

At RMIT Thomas was learning new skills.  He worked with postgraduate students and ran the structures laboratory for undergraduates.  One of the laboratory’s major exercises was the making and testing of concrete beams, and looking at the impact of changes in the concrete mix and reinforcement material.  He was also encouraged in developing his metal working expertise.  When Thomas’ contract concluded in 1994, (apparently the consequence of some internal politics) Thomas took the opportunity to travel to California to work for the Green Corps, working on some forestry and energy conservation projects.

By this time he had acquired a 1984 Volkswagen Transporter, which he proceeded to fit out as a camper, with a solar panel to recharge the batteries, in preparation for a trip taking about five months around Australia.  Later in 1995 he walked the Milford Track in New Zealand.  He continued to be a regular participant and leader of walks run by the Boroondara Bushwalkers.

During the later part of 1996, Thomas had his first European trip, stopping long enough to attend a family wedding in England and meeting some of the English relations.  He accompanied a family friend in her 80’s to Hungary and Europe in 2004 and was on another trip to Italy and Eastern Europe when he met his demise this year.

In the mid 1990’s Thomas joined the Colonial Dancers, and a fairly regular pattern of travel began, including trips over Easter to Canberra for the National Folk Festival, the New Year to Corryong, and a springtime expedition to different parts of Australia, including the inland and along the eastern seaboard to far North Queensland.  On one of these trips he bought a slow combustion stove, weighing perhaps 250kg, bringing it back in his Kombi, and ultimately installing it in the Pockett family home, Cowley, in Healesville, and fitting up its back boiler to help heat the water.

Working for a time building and installing wire mesh cat runs on commission, Thomas moved on to work as a handyman/gardener, essentially his occupation until present.  At home he built a large carport (known as the ‘hangar’) with steel supports, and at Cowley co-ordinated the construction of the ‘new’ shed.  Some water tanks now in place at Cowley were an inheritance from the scrapping of RMIT’s hydraulics laboratory.  Latterly he had been busy installing new water tanks and pumps for his gardening clients.  When the weather permitted, house painting was part of his repertoire of useful skills.

Thomas enjoyed working with good tools, both hand operated and powered.  On his expeditions he would often pick up an item and bring it home to refurbish, and use it.  Often at Cowley a two handed cross cut saw would be used in preference to a chain saw.  When he didn’t have the appropriate tool, he would either seek it out, or make one.  In more recent times he has made jigs for the Bike Shed at CERES in Brunswick to assist bike repairs.  At home he had made items as small as an engine seal remover and as large as an hydraulic press of 10 ton capacity, both items constructed to assist with overhauling and repairing engines.

John Harland’s tribute to his  fellow worker Thomas at The Bike Shed at CERES in Brunswick is a fitting conclusion to these notes.

“Thomas was a special person to work with.  Not only was he an imaginative and innovative thinker, he had the focus and the skills to realise dreams.  Thomas was also very good at the (Bike Shed’s) basic purpose of helping people learn to fix a bike for themselves.  The Bike Shed project works a great deal better now than when Thomas first became involved, and his input has been a large part of that improvement.  It was a privilege and an inspiration to work with Thomas.
The world seems a sadder place without Thomas, but it is far better for his having been part of it.”

In Memoriam – Thomas Orange

Geoffrey Tisdall, a family friend wrote the following to Thomas’ family.

As I treasure in my heart the memory of Thomas I think of his shy smile, his painstaking patience in fixing and making with whatever was to hand, like my chook pen when I moved from Box Hill to East Melbourne, so comfortable and cat proof, even for the (later) move to East Malvern.  From the time he was fast enough to be not caught and taken, Thomas didn’t attend church, but he had well developed views about what should happen in church, and how those who did attend should conduct themselves.
He had a well developed sense of justice and of right and wrong.  He was an autonomous very independent person who could not easily kowtow to bosses or teachers.  He would solve any problem in his own way at his own pace out of his own collection of valuable items, ever a fierce resister of the throwaway society.  Thomas accompanied me on a couple of holidays, like the Northern Territory, which I would have been reluctant about on my own.  He respected your privacy but could be a good companion.
For all that was uniquely Thomas I give thanks as with such sorrow we hand him over to the eternally Beloved.

Geoffrey

A tribute from the Boroondara Bushwalkers
THOMAS ORANGE, 26 SEPTEMBER 1963 – 4 MAY 2009

It is with deep sadness that we pass on the news of the sudden death of Thomas Orange on 4th May while on holiday in Europe.
Thomas was a long serving member of the Boroondara Bushwalkers, having joined in 1990.  He soon became very involved in club activities, leading walks, particularly to his favourite walking areas in the Yarra Ranges, and working on the Boroondara Track at Murrundindi.  In November 1992 Thomas joined the group of 14 club members on the trek to Everest Base Camp in Nepal, the first club walk overseas.  In 1993, in the club’s annual photographic competition, he won two categories: ‘Scenery’ and ‘People in Action’.

In addition to his love of walking, Thomas was a true advocate for the environment and keen in conserving the Victorian bush.  He was the Conservation Representative of the Club at the Federation of Victorian Walking Clubs from 1992 to 1995 and again in 2003 and 2004.  He also travelled to California in 1994 to work with a volunteer conservation group on a project that lasted 3 months.  Last year, Thomas was part of the Club group at the Regent Honey Eater planting weekend.
Thomas’ other interests included attending music festivals and colonial dancing with the Melbourne Colonial Dancers, which he attended most Wednesday nights except when the Boroondara meeting was on.  He joined the Display Team and last year danced at the National Folk Festival in Canberra.  Thomas also liked to travel, both in Australia and overseas, and his well known Kombi vans travelled many miles throughout Australia.

Thomas could turn his hand to almost anything of a practical nature.  He worked as an instrument technician, odd jobs man, builder, motor mechanic, installer of cat runs, and gardener.  He was meticulous with whatever task he set himself.

Thomas’ friends had a lot of respect for his integrity and commitment to a low impact lifestyle.  What an example he set, collecting old bikes and helping people refurbish them at CERES, installing solar panels on his Kombi, and more.  Thomas was a real character, an original thinker, not afraid to say and do what mattered to him, but always considerate of others.  He had a quiet but fun sense of humour and could be relied upon to lend a calm hand in any difficult situation.

There is a photo of the opening of the Boroondara Track in February 1992, in the Vicwalk News (May issue) with Thomas part of the group, easily recognisable with his trademark battered hat which symbolized his comfort in just being himself.  He will be missed by his many friends.

The members of the Boroondara Bushwalkers extend their deepest sympathy to Thomas’ family.

Vale Thomas Orange
Melbourne Colonial Dancers

Thomas has been participating in Dancing with the Melbourne Colonial Dancers for a good fifteen years.  We are a folk dance group, a very social dance group, and do other activities as well.  Thomas was a regular at our Wednesday night classes as well as at other events organised by our members such as bushwalks , bike rides, charity fundraising events and a t our summer and winter balls.  We also perform display dances and Thomas was always willing to help out even though he wasn’t a regular member of the display team.  When numbers were down Thomas would oblige.
At the national Folk Festival in Canberra in 2008 we presented a very unusual dance performance where we depicted on stage two football teams, Melbourne and Collingwood, playing a game of football through dance. It was requested that all the men wear long shorts, 1920’s style – well out came Thomas in his shortest of short shorts (Warwick Capper style) and his long white legs.  The second half of the performance required formal wear and Thomas came out resplendent in his tails.  He was the talk of the National.  That was our Thomas.
Thomas did thoroughly enjoy folk festivals – big (The National) or small (Nariel, Maldon and the Troubadour weekend).  There is a lot of work involved in performing at the National Festival and Thomas was always there to help make and set up props and decorations.  These are a major part of our performances at the National Festival as they are at our summer and winter balls.  Thomas was very practical and always had the right bit of equipment needed, if things didn’t go according to plan.  His Kombi was like a magician’s hat, he could pull anything out of there and everywhere Thomas went so did his distinctive kombi.
Many of us have been on bushwalks with Thomas.  We remember his quiet and reliable presence.  We have always been impressed with the way Thomas, even he was fit and capable of being up the front, always helped out walkers at the rear of the group, whether they were just slow walkers or struggling for whatever reason.  He was a very supportive and caring walker in the group.  He had a great knowledge of, experience and interest in the bush – be it plants, animals, rocks and minerals, or directions and compass bearings.  We have lots of fond memories of walking with Thomas, including those elastic sided boots he always used when the rest of us used ‘proper’ hiking boots – you know, the ones that cost a fortune.  Thomas had no requirement for anything above good basic equipment that would do the job.
Thomas’ caring nature showed in everything he did – he was a patient, gentle and generous person who had a lovely smile and a quiet sense of humour, and for a big man walked gently on this earth.  Robyn who was travelling with Thomas adapted a quote from the book The God of Small Things by Arundati Roy to say ‘There’s a hole in the sky where Thomas used to be’.  “He was a beautiful and gentle person and there’s a hole in my heart” she said.
The words in an email form Pam Harris, currently in England, sum up the feelings of all of us at Melbourne Colonial Dancers – ‘It is a rare gift to leave behind you only friends and no enemies or no people who have had bad words to say about you.  Thomas was one of those people’.