gift in memory sybel whittle - headland golf club · she met and married harold whittle from...

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Sybel Herbert Lindley was born in Toowoomba, one of four children to grazier parents Horace and Grace who owned a cattle property called Jingeri, northwest of Kingaroy. She was educated at three different boarding schools and demonstrated an aptitude for mathematics. At 24, she and her sister left for England and whilst in Yugoslavia in 1939, WW2 was declared. Managing to get back to war-ravaged London, she studied during the day and drove ambulances at night before joining the Fany Corps of the British Army, a small part of which was highly secret at the time and later became famous as a parent unit for many women who undertook espionage work for the Special Operations Executive. Recruits were trained in one of four fields: Motor Transport, Wireless Telegraphy, Codes or General. They worked on coding and signals, acting as conductors for agents and providing administration and technical support for the Special Training Schools. Promoted to ‘officer’ and assigned to the Lancashire Fusiliers, Sybel became involved with the use of radar to help land planes when they returned from bombing raids. It was here she met and married Harold Whittle from Lancashire who was also in the British army. Two years later their daughter Sue was born. Returning to Australia in 1946, initially to Jingeri, in 1947-48, the Whittle family settled in Brisbane where Harold worked as a commercial artist. Moving to Buderim, they rented a cottage and leased adjoining land to grow bananas, strawberries, beans, and other fruits and vegetables. In 1949, they bought a 38-acre property on the northern slopes of Buderim and built their house, which Sybel designed. Their son Simon was born in 1952. Both Sybel and her husband were part of a group that helped establish Headland Golf Club and became a life member in 1973. As well as their dedication and commitment to the Club and its stewardship, in 1960 Harold and Sybel demonstrated their golfing prowess by both becoming Club Champions in the same year. Sybel was the second lady captain from 1958- 1961 and was Associate President for three of the years between 1963 and 1971. In her role as captain, she was reportedly cool calm and collected, knowledgeable and fair- minded. She played golf with fun, distinction and with enthusiasm until the mid-eighties, a thirty-year career at Headland. After Harold passed away in 1991, Sybel played bridge five days a week reaching the rank of “Life Master” with over 500 master points. Remembered as loyal, supportive, frugal, uncomplicated and modest, she loved her garden and enjoyed the regular visits of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Donors: Simon and Sandy Whittle 1914 - 2007 SYBEL WHITTLE Gift in Memory

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S ybe l H e rbe r t Lindle y wa s born in T oowoomba , one of fourc hi ldre n to g ra z ie r pa re nts H ora c e a nd G ra c e who owne d ac a tt le prope r ty c a l le d J ing e r i , nor thwe s t of King a roy. S he wa se duc a te d a t thre e diffe re nt boa rding s c hools a nd de mons tra te da n a pti tude for ma the ma tic s .  A t 2 4 , s he a nd he r s is te r le f t forE ng la nd a nd whi ls t in Y ug os la v ia in 1 9 3 9 , WW2 wa s de c la re d.M a na g ing to g e t ba c k to wa r - ra va g e d London, s he s tudie d dur ingthe da y a nd drove a mbula nc e s a t nig ht be fore joining the Fa nyC orps of the B r i t is h A rmy, a s ma l l pa r t of whic h wa s hig hlys e c re t a t the t ime a nd la te r be c a me fa mous a s a pa re nt uni t forma ny wome n who unde r took e s piona g e work for the S pe c ia lOpe ra tions E xe c utive . Re c rui ts we re tra ine d in one of four fie lds :M otor T ra ns por t, Wire le s s T e le g ra phy, C ode s or G e ne ra l . T he yworke d on c oding a nd s ig na ls , a c t ing a s c onduc tors for a g e nts  a nd prov iding a dminis tra tion a nd te c hnic a l s uppor t for the S pe c ia l T ra ining S c hools .   Promote d to ‘offic e r ’ a nd a s s ig ne d to the La nc a s hire Fus i l ie rs , S ybe l be c a me involve d wi ththe us e of ra da r to he lp la nd pla ne s whe n the y re turne d from bombing ra ids . It wa s he res he me t a nd ma rr ie d H a rold Whitt le f rom La nc a s hire who wa s a ls o in the B r i t is h a rmy. T woye a rs la te r the ir da ug hte r S ue wa s born.   Re turning to A us tra l ia in 1 9 4 6 , ini t ia l ly to J ing e r i , in 1 9 4 7 - 4 8 , the Whitt le fa mi ly s e tt le d inB r is ba ne whe re H a rold worke d a s a c omme rc ia l a r t is t . M oving to B ude r im, the y re nte d ac otta g e a nd le a s e d a djoining la nd to g row ba na na s , s tra wbe rr ie s , be a ns , a nd othe r f rui tsa nd ve g e ta ble s . In 1 9 4 9 , the y boug ht a 3 8 - a c re prope r ty on the nor the rn s lope s ofB ude r im a nd bui l t the ir hous e , whic h S ybe l de s ig ne d. T he ir s on S imon wa s born in 1 9 5 2 .   B oth S ybe l a nd he r hus ba nd we re pa r t of a g roup tha t he lpe d e s ta bl is h H e a dla nd G ol f C luba nd be c a me a l i fe me mbe r in 1 9 7 3 . A s we l l a s the ir de dic a tion a nd c ommitme nt to the C luba nd i ts s te wa rds hip, in 1 9 6 0 H a rold a nd S ybe l de mons tra te d the ir g olfing prowe s s by bothbe c oming C lub C ha mpions in the s a me ye a r . S ybe l wa s the s e c ond la dy c a pta in from 1 9 5 8 -1 9 6 1 a nd wa s A s s oc ia te Pre s ide nt for thre e of the ye a rs be twe e n 1 9 6 3 a nd 1 9 7 1 . In he rrole a s c a pta in, s he wa s re por te dly c ool c a lm a nd c ol le c te d, knowle dg e a ble a nd fa i r -minde d. S he pla ye d g ol f wi th fun, dis t inc t ion a nd wi th e nthus ia s m unti l the mid- e ig htie s , athir ty - ye a r c a re e r a t H e a dla nd.   A f te r H a rold pa s s e d a wa y in 1 9 9 1 , S ybe l pla ye d br idg e five da ys a we e k re a c hing the ra nkof “Li fe M a s te r ” wi th ove r 5 0 0 ma s te r points . Re me mbe re d a s loya l , s uppor tive , f rug a l ,unc ompl ic a te d a nd mode s t, s he love d he r g a rde n a nd e njoye d the re g ula r v is i ts of he rg ra ndc hi ldre n a nd g re a t- g ra ndc hi ldre n.

Do no r s : S imo n a nd Sa ndy Whi t t le

1914 - 2007

SYBEL WHITTLEGift in Memory