Graham Frankland’s father, Mr George Hamilton Frankland (Paddy), was a local businessman, Councillor and Mayor who was involved in and supported various civic organisations.

Paddy was born in Brunswick in 1919 to Frieda and Bill Frankland. He had two brothers and one sister who, sadly, have all passed away. He started school at Gilderoy Primary School in 1924 and finished at Yarra Junction after moving there with his family. After leaving school he worked at the local grocery store. He then began working for his father in his sawmill until 1938 when bushfires burnt out most of the sawmills in the area. Together with his brother, Bill (known locally as Boyd Frankland), and a friend, Norm Long, Paddy decided to move to look for work. They arrived in Traralgon (Paddy with £45 in his pocket) and were all able to get work.

Winifred Hehir was working at the Snuggle-Inn restaurant when she met Paddy. They became friends and were married in 1940. They had two children, Graham and Denise, who lives in Sale. He started working at A.P.M. Maryvale just before he married Win, but four months later he had a bad accident and his left arm was severely damaged. Following an operation and some recuperation he returned to the A.P.M. on light duties.

Paddy was a good friend of ‘Old Pop Ikin’ and one day they were talking in the Union Bank when Pop said "I’ve got a property at Traralgon South; I’ll sell it to you for a reasonable price to start-up a sawmill". Paddy agreed. Before the mill was started they had to cross the Traralgon Creek so Win’s father, Dinny Hehir, who was retired but had experience in bridge building, helped Paddy build the bridge over the Creek next to where local solicitor, Garth Hackford, now lives. Back then there wasn’t the machinery that’s available now. Dinny squared the stringer logs for the bridge, which were cut out of bush and pulled down into position by a team of draught horses that were controlled by Hughie Radford.

After the bush cut out at Traralgon South, Paddy logged property he owned at Balook and took this to his mill at Willung South, where he cut poles for the P.M.G. and the S.E.C. out of trees that were straight but not big enough for mill logs. The next mill was on the Old Melbourne Road, just west of Traralgon. Paddy’s two brothers and father worked there with him. The mill was re-powered by a McDonald’s diesel engine that had been taken out of the old Traralgon Butter Factory. After that, Paddy and his brothers ran, under contract, Saxton’s mill at Moe. They operated this mill for about three years and when the contract finished, in 1959, Paddy built a mill at Taribrook, just behind the Caltex service station at Bunyip. Around this time the building game became quiet and it was hard to sell timber.

Paddy left saw milling in 1961 and set about starting a new business venture in the asphalt industry. He started working this business with his brother, Mick, and his son Graham, who joined them about eight years later. Their work took them all over Gippsland, from Swifts Creek to San Remo. A lot of the jobs were for the Public Works Department, around schools and offices, as well as tennis and basketball courts for local clubs and committees. Paddy stayed in the business until he retired at 69 years of age.

During his working years, Paddy followed many other interests including a lifelong love of the Traralgon Racing Club where he was President for 10 years and Vice President for five years. He was also President of the Gippsland District Racing Assocation and was made a life member of both clubs. He was also involved in St Paul’s College when it first opened in 1953, providing men and machinery to help prepare the site. He organised a big working bee at the Traralgon football ground in the early ’60s and also took part in two working bees at the Traralgon cemetery.

Always interested in local affairs, Paddy became involved in Council for nine years and had a term as Mayor during the period that Loy Yang was being built and Traralgon was really expanding. Following this he was President of the Traralgon Ratepayers Association and an active member of the Save Traralgon Committee. He was an enthusiastic member of the Traralgon Lions Club for over 30 years and was proud of projects the Club introduced and completed for the benefit of the community. He was the last charter member of the Club when he passed away in October last year.