Balranald parishioners will bid farewell to Father Pat Austin this weekend as he embarks upon the next stage of his life in Sydney.
Father Pat arrived in Balranald almost 11 years ago and has led the Balranald Catholic Parish since February 2006.
“Arriving in Balranald my first impressions were of the heat and the flat country,” he recalled.
“The bush was very dry and I noticed the absence of green grass.
“As time went on I embraced the landscape and it became a part of me and I would miss it when I was away from it.”
But more than the landscape and climate, Father Pat will miss the people.
“I want to say a special thank you to the people who offered me their friendship,” he said.
“Not just those from the parish but from all walks of life.
“I came to know everyone and there is something special about an atmosphere where you go down the street and people sing out hello to you down the street.
“That will be a nice memory I hold.”
Father Pat entered the priesthood as a 19 year old inspired by a favourite uncle who had been a Catholic Brother.
He spent seven years training to become a religious order priest spending time stationed in the Northern Territory, Papua New Guinea and Hamilton Victoria before arriving in Balranald.
Father Pat is remembered fondly by church leader Kevin Murphy.
For more on this story, grab a copy of Friday’s Guardian December 16, 2016.
