The lyrics say it’s time to say goodbye and Anna De La Rue and husband Adrian Gobel left King Island this week. Anna, after more than 20 years and Adrian after 60 years.
The pair have joined an increasing number of long-term residents, and in some cases, lifetime King Islanders who as they age, leave to be closer to family, medical care, and hope for a reduction in the cost of living.
“I have lived on King Island for over 20 years and for Adrian it is more than 60 years,” Anna said.
Adrian came to the island with Dutch family connections to take up dairy farming. This migrated to beef farming on their South Road property.
“The farm has sold and Adrian’s daughters both now live in Tasmania,” Anna said.
“My daughter and grandson live in the US.
“Now the family is close by, and we increasingly have medical issues, I can comfortably know that if I visit my daughter and grandson, Adrian has his daughters only a few minutes away in Launceston.”
Over the years the couple have been involved in many community groups and businesses. Adrian enjoys sailing and his sloop, moored in Grassy will make the journey to Tasmania.
For many years Adrian ran a tour coach and tourism business before selling and focussing on the farm.
Anna is a qualified psychologist and in private practice as well as working for many years at the King Island District Hospital as a rural resource worker until the position was defunded.
As an authorised marriage celebrant, she has officiated many island couples’ marriages and as a funeral celebrant helped families and friends say goodbye to loved ones.
Over the years Anna has served the island’s Catholic community acting as both a liaison and service leader in the weeks when the priest is not visiting the island and with Adrian was part of the church’s Holy Donut team making and selling donuts at events.
“I also instructed Tai Chi on a Tuesday at Phoenix House and a member of the island’s Red Cross, a member of Lions and also the cross churches Christian Women’s Group,” Anna said.
“I was a volunteer ambulance officer for many years and while the Red Cross closed on King Island, I’m still an active member of the Red Cross Emergency Response team.
“Over the years I have had the phone duties, but I have also been deployed off the island to disasters like floods and bushfires,” she added.
“I will miss King Island and most of all the community. Yes, it’s the community I will miss and the bonds we all have.”