Joan Proctor has been a parishioner at Christ the King for 52 years. Joan and her husband, Jim, moved to the parish after getting married in 1969. They had met at a supper dance just weeks before Jim moved to Mt Isa for work; Jim proposed over the phone and their life at the parish began after they bought a home in Braybrook.
The couple will be moving to a retirement village in South Morang to be nearer to one of their daughters. As has happened with so many people, the decision to move was made during the lockdowns caused by the pandemic: the realisation of the importance of having family nearby. For Joan, the move will mean leaving behind some family and friends, her aerobics classes at the Y, and most of all, the ability to simply walk to the Christ the King (CTK) church for Sunday mass.
Joan and Jim’s two daughters, Roslyn and Sandra, went to CTK primary and secondary schools (next to the church, which is now the Caroline Chisholm Catholic College-CTK campus). Joan volunteered with the tuck shop then, and was also active in the Mother’s Club, which raised funds for the school by organising fetes. Jim used to help count the collection money at CTK.
Having lived near CTK for so long, Joan has seen the congregation change from being all white (due to the White Australia policy at the time) to a more diverse group, starting with the influx of Vietnamese refugees after Australia opened its borders to those fleeing Vietnam in the 1970s. Joan also remembers the 1961 fire that destroyed the original CTK church, which occurred just days before her 21st birthday. It was a beautiful church, according to Joan, and was only three years old when it burnt down. After the fire, a hall was built to temporarily house the church until a new one was built. Unfortunately, the replacement church was never built, and the temporary hall has become the permanent church.
Farewell, Joan and Jim! Our best wishes on your move to South Morang!