From schoolmates to neighbours: A lifelong friendship rekindled in retirement
When Resthaven North Haven ‘Gulf Point’ Retirement Living residents Mr John Shaw and Mr Richard Lloyd get together, their conversations range from current affairs to shared experiences from more than 80 years ago.
The pair, who are neighbours at the village, attended the same infant school, as well as being classmates at Le Fevre Peninsula Primary School. Both were bright students, and it was always a competition to see which one was top of the class.
‘We both grew up in the area, and there have been connections throughout our whole lives,’ Richard says.
‘As you get older, life starts to flash back a bit more,’ Richard reflects. ‘I remember growing up in the war years, and when we were coming up through school, there were kids who never had breakfast, or didn’t even have shoes to wear. I remember one boy being congratulated at the school assembly for kicking 18 goals in a footy match on the weekend – without shoes!’
The friends split ways in Year 5, when Richard moved to a different school. It was around this time though that he first felt the call of the sea.
‘By the age of 10, I’d made up my mind to join the Merchant Navy,’ Richard says. ‘My great-grandfather, grandfather, and his three sons were all Master Mariners. I guess I was destined for life on the seas.’
Richard decided that he didn’t want to be on deck, so at age 15 he undertook a five-year apprenticeship with the Adelaide Steamship Company in engineering. Coincidentally, John also worked there for a time.
‘In my fourth year, I had passed my Part A Service exam and was sailing back and forth to Port Lincoln on the MV Minnipa,’ Richard says. ‘I went from earning something like ten pounds a week to 70 pounds a month. It was great!’
Meanwhile, John dreamed of becoming a pilot but was unable to pursue this career due to a history of migraines. He went on to have a successful career as a licensed customs agent at Port Adelaide, facilitating the import and export of goods.
‘Not long after I started the job, I was waiting at the Customs House for some documents,’ John says. ‘A girl in a red sweater came in and asked: “Which one of you is John Shaw?” I replied that I was, and she came over and said, “I’ve been told that you’ll buy a raffle ticket.” So, I did. The girl was Barbara, and we were married on 12 April 1958.’
‘And he won the lottery,’ Richard says with a smile.
John and Barbara adopted three children and coincidentally moved into a house on the corner of the same street where Richard’s parents and two sets of aunts and uncles lived.
When he was 18, Richard met his wife-to-be, Marion, at the Largs Bay Sailing Club dance. The couple were married in May 1957, and in the following years, they had eight children.
‘They’re now scattered all over the place,’ Richard says. ‘The one who lives closest to me actually lives on a yacht. He has sailed in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race three times.’
Over the years, the men have found ongoing connections: They discovered that their wives had attended school together, and their sons also attended school together. Richard was part of the Merchant Navy for his entire career (‘I couldn’t cope with office politics,’ he says), while John became a Fellow of the Customs Agent Council (now the International Forwarders & Customs Brokers Association of Australia [IFCBAA]).
‘When Barbara and I first walked around, we straight away said to each other how much we liked the place,’ John says. ‘The location is good, and our unit is easy to take care of. Barbara made it what it is.’
Richard and Marion made the move in 2009, and it was almost immediately that Richard and John realised that they would again be sharing a neighbourhood.
A third schoolmate, Ray, was also a village resident from a similar time, but he sadly died in 2025.
At the village, Richard and John have continued their passions and contributed to village life. John, previously President of the Residents’ Committee, remains active in baseball and attends the over-50s club to take part in lawn bowls and to socialise. Richard was involved with the social committee at the village for around six years, four of which as chairperson.
Brian, John and Richard at the 90th celebration with Executive Manager, Mel Ottaway
‘There were a few complaints that there were too many activities,’ Richard laughs.
Sadly, Marion died in 2020, and Barbara also passed away in 2024. Richard has since remarried, to Joy.
Thank you for sharing your stories, Richard and John, and thank you for being a part of the vibrant community at Resthaven North Haven ‘Gulf Point’ Retirement Living.
