Angus Barber was enrolled as a boarder, along with his twin brother Keith, at The Geelong College in 1954. Starting in Form IIA they both boarded in Warrinn.
Angus was involved in a number of sports, playing on the U16 football team for two years before playing in the 3rd XVIII in his final year where he was noted to be one of the most consistent players. He also rowed in the 6th VIII crew before joining the 3rd crew in 1956.
Angus passed away 5 April 2021 aged 82 years.
Fellow student and friend, Tony Ennis OGC 1954 wrote the following tribute to the Barber twins.
I started at the College in 1952 and remember well when and where I first met Angus and Keith. I was walking around Mackie oval on the first day of the school year in 1954.
This was the year the Barber twins Angus and Keith, from Birchip, began as boarders at the Geelong College, as their father Gordon Barber and his brothers had done in the 1920s. Keith and Angus went to Warrinn under the guidance of Mr. J H Campbell.
In the same year the Lord twins, Stuart and Alistair, began at the College. They were in Mackie house under Mr. J. Carrington.
The enrolment of two sets of twins in the same year and of the same age must have been an unusual occurrence. The fact that all four were boarders must have been extremely unusual.
While at the College the four boys looked after, looked out for, and depended on each other.
Keith decided he wanted to go back to the family farm at Birchip after two years, and Angus returned the following year. They farmed together until they both married and then went their separate ways. Keith married Helen Jesse from St Arnaud and Angus married Mary Hand from Warracknabeal. Keith and Helen stayed at Birchip and Angus eventually went on to Warracknabeal where he and Mary retired.
They were both hugely successful farmers and expanded their holdings very significantly. Keith and Helen’s two boys Lachlan and Andrew continue the Barber name and farm at Birchip. Their daughter Nonie lives in Melbourne. Angus and Mary’s son Cameron was on their family farms in Birchip and Warracknabeal until a few years ago and is now farming in Ingham, Qld. Their other son Stuart lives and works in Singapore. They also have two daughters. Felicity who lives in Melbourne and Kerry in Darwin.
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The Barber twins at their 60th birthday
Both Angus and Keith were civic, community and philanthropically minded and contributed enormously to whatever they belonged to. Both were founding members of the Birchip Cropping Group, a non-profit research group, to name just one. Both men were also very interested in the natural flora and fauna of Birchip and surrounding areas and were very keen bird watchers for much of their lives.
However I can remember that at College Angus was very good with the shanghai! (Slingshot).
Their good humour, infectious smiles and laughter made anyone feel at home with either Angus or Keith.
In November 2020 Keith died and not quite five months later Angus died, leaving both families rather shocked at the loss of both of “their Men”.
Both had similar health problems which was hard to comprehend.
Whenever I rang Keith during his illness he would always say: I am a little bit better than yesterday. Angus would always say: I am Ok really. Then close to the end of his life Angus said to me: I have had a wonderful life!
They lie beside each other in the Birchip cemetery.
Keith and Angus’s connection with the College lasted all of their lives and they kept in touch with a few OGC boys and often said: Do you remember so and so? Colin Collins, Jim Gough, John Stuckey, John Kinley and Stuart Lord are some boys they have been in touch with since school days.
They were very proud of their lives and their families and the things they achieved during their very fulfilling lives.
Both Barber families have been a huge part of my life and my wife Joan’s. We continue to keep in touch with Mary and Helen and are always interested to hear about what their families and grandchildren are up to.
Angus and Keith came into this world together and left this world together.
By Tony Ennis who was a close friend of Angus and Keith for 67 years and attended the College from 1952/56..