SV 1921-22
Inducted Posthumously onto the Heritage Roll in 2021
1906-1973
John Alfred Gavin O’Dea, known as Gavin, was born in Devonport in Tasmania on the 9th July, 1906. He was the middle child of Michael Patrick and Mabel O’Dea who had recently arrived in Devonport from Victoria. His father, known as Paddy, was interested in becoming involved in mining in Tasmania but when Gavin was born he was licensee of the Family and Commercial Hotel in what is now called Formby Road. Paddy became involved with some of the mines at Renison Bell which was to play an important part of his life.
The family settled in a home in Nichols St and Gavin was educated at Our Lady of Lourdes School for several years. During the war years the family moved to a farm at Upper Castra and Gavin attended the primary school there. This farm was sold in 1920 when the mines at Renison Bell closed and the family returned to their home in Devonport. For one year Gavin attended St Patrick’s College in Launceston, and in 1922 he went to board at St Virgil’s in Hobart. The friends he made during that time remained among his closest friends throughout the remainder of his life, particularly Jim Howard and many others who remained on the West Coast. At school, Luke Tracey was a particular friend, and Luke’s mother, who was the licensee of the Customs House Hotel, was particularly kind to him.
The family remained in Devonport until 1925, when Mabel took Gavin and his sisters to Melbourne. Gavin studied accounting for a while, but did not continue on to become an accountant. His mother returned to Gippsland to manage the family’s hotel at Toora and during the Depression, when work was hard to find, the family joined her there. During this time Paddy remained in Tasmania hoping that he would be able to recommence at Renison Bell. He also had a small farm but did not have much money.
In 1934 Paddy was able to start a company with the backing of his friends using the new flotation method to extract the ore. Gavin joined him and the Renison Associated Tin Mines began to work the mines for which they had the licence. Gavin reconnected with his old friends with whom he had boarded at St Virgil’s many of whom lived on the West Coast, in particular Jim Howard who was a great supporter of this mining venture.
In 1938 Gavin married Jessie Sutherland whom he had known while in Gippsland. They lived for a year or so in Zeehan and in 1940 moved to Launceston where Gavin became an insurance agent for AMP. Their first child, Brian (svc 1953-57), was born while they lived there. In 1942, Mabel died, and Gavin was called back to the mine to help manage it as Paddy was not coping well with her death. As this was an essential industry for the war effort, Gavin did not have to go into the army which would have been his other option. While they lived at Renison Bell Maureen and Gerald (svc 1956-62) were born.
In 1946 Gavin returned to the AMP. He settled in the Devonport area and the family moved to a house in Spreyton. Two more children, Kathy and Kevin, were born while the family lived there. In 1953 the family moved into Devonport. Gavin became a very successful insurance agent and remained with AMP until 1961. Part of his agency was the West Coast so he was able to combine his mining interests with his work for AMP on his frequent visits. During the fifties he developed superannuation schemes in the mines on the West Coast and at the Cement Works at Railton. As there was no road from the North West until 1963, Gavin would drive to Guilford Junction and put his car on the train to Rosebery and would spend the week on the West Coast. In Queenstown he always stayed with his old St Virgil’s friend, Jim Kelly, at his hotel. In Zeehan, he stayed at Bill Moyle’s hotel which is where those associated with the Renison Bell mine unofficially met to do business.
Following the War Gavin joined the Board of Renison Associated Tin Mines which now controlled the entire Renison Bell field. In 1953 he became Chairman and in 1958 this company which did not have the capital to develop the mine, formed a new company in partnership with Mt Lyell. Gavin and Jim Howard stayed on the board of this company until 1964 when it was taken over by RGC (Renison Goldfields Consolidated) which once owned and operated mines in Western Australia, Queensland, Northern Territory, Florida, West Virginia, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. Jim Howard remained involved with the new company until his death in 1968.
From 1946 Gavin became involved with many organizations in the Devonport area and on the North West Coast. One of these was the North West Football Union. He soon became President. At this time it was in two divisions, but under Gavin’s guidance it became one region with eight teams from Wynyard to Latrobe. Gavin remained President of the Union until he resigned in 1961. He was considered a very good administrator and fought hard at State level to ensure that young men in his area who had good jobs did not have to travel and find work in Hobart in order to play top level football. Gavin mentored many young players including Darrel Baldock who played with a combined Union team at the age of 16. Gavin was one of the first administrators included in the inaugural Tasmanian AFL Hall of Fame induction, nominated by another footballer he mentored, Paddy Martin.
Other organizations Gavin took an interest in were the local racing clubs, both Pacing and Gallops. He was on their committees for many years and chaired both organizations. He was President of the Devonport Racing Club until his death. For many years he was also a Vice-President and Chairman of Committees of the Devonport Show Society and for a period President of the Tasmanian Show Council.
In 1947 Gavin joined the Devonport Rotary Club and was President in 1953. He continued his interest in Rotary for the rest of his life. He also played a key role in the management of Clements and Marshalls as a Director for about 20 years. This was an important company in those days, especially in relation to the apple industry. For many years he was on the Committee of the Launceston Bank of Savings.
Gavin was elected to the Devonport Marine Board in 1947 until 1953. He enjoyed an interest in the port but for the rest of the 1950's he had many other interests especially the Renison mine to keep him occupied. However, when the Marine Board was in a rather difficult position in 1959 trying to get the new ferry terminal completed in time for the arrival of the Princess of Tasmania, Gavin was persuaded to put his name forward again. He was re-elected and immediately given the responsibility of getting this job finished. This he did even though he had to provide a barrel of beer
to the men as the ship was sailing from Melbourne for them to work all night to get the terminal in a fit state to receive the guests the next morning when the ship docked.
In 1961 Gavin was made Master Warden (Chairman) of the Marine Board and held this position until his death in 1973. He gave up his job with AMP in 1963 so that he could manage this position as the paid staff were not managers of the port. During the fifties and sixties the port took on the shape it is today. The port was Gavin’s life and he championed the Devonport region and its trade wherever he could. The terminals in Devonport and Melbourne were the first roll-on, roll-off ones built in Australia and Gavin maintained a good working relationship with the Port of Melbourne Authority.
Gavin was very involved with the Devonport Parish and the associated schools. He chaired the committee which built the current church which was opened a couple of years before he died. His father was on the committee that had built the previous one, which now serves as the parish hall. Gavin helped set up and then chair the Parents & Friends Association of Our Lady of Lourdes School and also helped establish the Federation of Parents & Friends of Catholic Schools. He supported the development of Catholic Secondary Education in the Devonport area which eventuated in the 1960’s, a few years after he had educated his own children at St Virgil’s and St Mary’s in Hobart. He supported the Christian Brothers establishment of St Brendan’s and was the first chairman of its School Board. He also supported Archbishop Young’s push for co-education and was influential in ensuring that the girls’ school was built adjacent to St Brendan’s. This was at a time when the Christian Brothers were not in favour of Co-education. He was the inaugural Chairman of Shaw College’s Board of Management. In tribute to his work for both schools, when they became one the library at St Brendan-Shaw College was named after him.
Gavin was active in many organizations at a State level as well as locally in Devonport and he retained many of the friendships he made at St Virgil’s. One of these was with Alan Pybus who used to sign our drivers’ licences. Alan and his wife Dulcie were very good to Gerald when he spent seven years at St Virgil’s. Gavin was an active member of the Knights of the Southern Cross and through this organization was able to maintain many of his friendship that dated back to his school days. In Hobart he would always stay at hotels owned by his old school friends. In the 1050s he played a key role in the establishment of the Schools Provident Fund. In 1961 Gavin was honoured in the New Year’s Honours listing with an MBE (an Ordinary Member of the Civil Division of the Order of the British Empire) for his service to the community.
Gavin died on the 24th August 1973 while attending a dinner in Burnie. He was buried in the lawn cemetery at Spreyton.
Article originally published as "Gavin O'Dea - Posthumous Inductee to the Heritage Roll of honour", OVAtions: The monthly e-newsletter of the Old Virgilians Association, August Edition - 12 Aug 2021. Reproduced here with kind permission of the publisher.
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