Denis Brian Monaghan (SPC 1971-74, PY1976)

We were notified by John Monaghan (SPC 1967-72) of the sad and sudden passing of his brother Denis Brian Monaghan (SPC 1971-74, PY1976) on 9 October 2024 from a massive stroke caused by a blood clot following an otherwise successful heart operation.

Denis, aged 65 years, boarded at SPC from the family farm near Stawell and was a fit, healthy and hard-working farmer and community person who sudden death has come as a great shock to his family and friends.

Denis was the nephew of Frank Monaghan (SPC 1942-46) and he leaves behind his lovely wife Sue and their beautiful daughters Claire and Lisa. His Funeral was held on his farm at Kirkella Road, Concongella on 21 October.

Denis was a member of the cadets at SPC and U13 Cricket Firsts team. He was also awarded a junior government scholarship in his first year at SPC in Form 2. He completed his Form 4 studies at SPC.

Brother John read the following excerpt at Denis’ funeral –

“We were incredibly blessed growing up in this beautiful part of the world.  Our home, work and fun and recreation all centred here along Concongella Creek.

As well as superbly loving and caring for us, our parents, Brian and Mary, made relatives and friends, school classmates and anyone dropping in most welcome – always pressing them to stay for a cuppa or a meal.

From our earliest years, dad would get us to accompany him around the farm; opening and shutting gates and helping with whatever farm work he was doing at the time.

Then came the fun and recreation side of things – also centred around here and almost always outside – whether this be yabbying in one of our dams playing on of the haystacks or in one of the sheds, or taking the dogs along the creek or through one of the reserves (here and behind the woolshed) looking for rabbits that there was an over-abundance of in the 1960’s, that later progressed into also including ferreting, trapping and spotlighting.

Getting rid of rabbits always pleased dad plus “underground mutton” gave mum the ingredients for a few extra meals to feed us with each week.

Also, for the likes of Denis and myself, our first source of off-farm pocket money was skinning and drying the rabbits skins and selling these in Stawell.”

John also read an adaptation of Slim Dusty’s Bushman’s Prayer –

I don’t go to church; I don’t find what I seek in a building confined, but sometimes at night, along Kirkella Road,
when I’ve worked hard all day and I’ve carried my load,
I sit in my chair and watch the old Southern Cross;
I realise then, this world has a boss.

The land is hard on man and machine; if you haven’t lived it, you won’t know what I mean; breakdowns all day and things goin’ wrong; too much downtime; this job’s taken too long.
But then comes the quiet, the peace and the charm and I know that he’s close here on the farm.

I’ve been in this world for so many years; I’ve tasted torment, love and some tears.
And when I’ve been down, and thought I’d never get up,
yet somehow I did, and it wasn’t just luck.
At the end of the day, I know what I seek
is right here with Sue and the girls along Concongella Creek.

With the sound of the sheep and ever-faithful Katie (Denis’ faithful border collie dog) by my side,
cockies and galahs overhead; and those special vehicles in the shed, the wonder of it all leaves me at a loss; I realise then that this world has a boss.

When the day is done, and I’ve had my earthly run,
Kirkella Road is where my heart will always be.
When my children are grown, and my grandchildren too,
I pray that they’ll be like me in wondering who made the quiet, the peace and the still, here in this place that’s been our home for so long.
When there’s a star in the night that shines extra bright,
and together we know, the boss of this world continues to guide us each step of the way.