I have just had a phone call from Shaydene Schrader, Neville’s wife, to inform me that Neville has just passed away after several long battles with illness. Neville was well known to many older Canberra birders through his conservation
efforts in the Parkes region, prior to him moving from Parkes to Orange to be closer to better medical services. He was a bird bander who I, and several of the Charcoal Tank banding team, had many good, and often cheeky, banding trips with, from Back Yamma
State Forest near Parkes, Mootwingee (as it was known then) National Park in western NSW, to Iron Range National Park on Cape York Peninsula. I can still remember arriving at a major banding session at Back Yamma to find Neville and his family huddled over
a small portable TV listening to the 1989 Rugby League Grand Final between “their” team, the Balmain Tigers, and the Canberra Raiders who were my team. At that point the TV was very rapidly dying as the battery ran out. It wasn’t until later in the day that
we learnt that the Raiders had won. Phone calls between us always started with either “up the Raiders” or “up the Tigers”.
I don’t know if people are interested but when I find out the funeral details I will pass them on to those interested. He will be sorely missed.
Mark
