Recollections of a lifetime

During the author’s early childhood his father Garnet Agnew, a staff artist on the Queenslander Magazine, lost his job during the great depression and the family was separated for several years.
Phil and his siblings went to live with their grandparents at Kalinga where, with little supervision, they “ran wild” in the park with the local kids.
From recalling the effects of a polio epidemic to being a Grammar school student, and from anecdotes of being an apprentice with the City Elecrtric Light Co, and World War 2 service with RAAF, to tales of his life as a university student and as a civil engineer in Queensland.
A book full of good yarns that include Phil photographing a record of his father’s various artworks, including murals in the bar-room of the West Coast Hotel in Cooktown.
These are charming and simply told entertaining stories of a long and interesting life.

About the Author

Phil Agnew is a retired Ciuvil Engineer and WW2 Veteran. He lives alone in a house he helped to build on the outskirts of Warwick (Qld).
His father was a newspaper artist ( Garnet Agnew), who lost his job during "The great Depression". His family became separated for several years, whilst his father found work in the Cooktown area ,and his mother found employment as a housekeeper. With his sister, and brother, Phil lived with their mother’s parents ,. The family was later re-united in a rented house in Ascot.
Despite the difficulties, the boys were educated at Brisbane Grammar School. Phil was then enrolled as an apprentice with City Electric Light Co; whilst he also studied part time in an engineering diploma course.
In 1942 he joined the RAAF , as a trainee electrician, then later re-trained as aircrew, and had active service in the SWP war -zone.
After the war he married, studied at University of Qld , and earned the degree , Bachelor of Engineering, (civil)
He served for 14 years as Civil Engineer with Councils of the cities of Mackay, Toowoomba and Armidale ( NSW), Then for 17 years with Main Roads Dept. ( Qld) mainly as Engineer in charge of the districts of Roma, then Warwick. He later worked as part time consultant on Road development projects in SW Qld.
After retirement he researched his family history, and recorded the information on CD. In order to gain more public recognition for the various art works of his father ( Garnet Agnew) he devoted much time to finding and photographing them and copying them on to CD ( These include paintings, sketches, Newspaper cartoons, Magazine covers, and Lino Cuts He has donated these to various galleries and Museums.