stan bellchambers2

Stan Bellchambers

Gordon House, Western Region Community Care, Delahey Housing

We do not know the whole story but we believe Stan grew up in Wedderburn, Victoria. His real surname wasn't Bellchambers - it was something with lots of Rs in it. He had trouble pronouncing all those rolling Rs so he changed his name to Bellchambers - a pretty magnificent nom de plume!

He worked as a rigger in the city and told how he would get a lot of attention from the ladies in the offices. On the hot days he would have his shirt off.

In those days it was easy to pick up casual work so he was never unemployed for long. He worked for Toyota as a cleaner and Bradmill on the machines. 

Stan used to run to keep fit and for a hobby. He talked about the Stawell gift and enjoyed watching the Olympics. When eventually he needed a pacemaker, Stan called it 'John Landy' because it was going to keep him running.

He often mentioned he stayed at Gordon House in the eighties and that was where he met Bryan Lipmann who went on to found Wintringham.

stan bellchambers

Stan's nickname was Snowy because of his thick white hair. 

He would go to Newman's chocolate factory in Richmond twice a year. Here he'd purchase a bag of delicious mixed chocolates and fill a tin that he would place on his very organized table and offer the carers some every time they came to his home. 

Stan got frustrated with politicians and occasionally wrote them letters with some brilliant suggestions; like using all that wasted rain water flooding the top end of Australia while the other side dries up from a drought. He suggested a pipe line. He sent plans and maps of how it could be done but never got a response. 

Stan was a great wordsmith and would do the papers' crossword puzzles and would study the racing form guide everyday. Once he bought a share in a horse racing syndicate.

Stan was a gentleman. We named one of the large residential apartment buildings at our Delahey Housing after him. We hope he'd have liked that.