Brother Eddie Wishart, nicknamed "froggy’ for his green work outfit, was a very important and dearly loved member of the Tardun community.

He came to Tardun in December 1967 from the Millgrove dairy farm, to help Brother Maurice Whiteley with the harvest.

Brother Eddie took over the St Joseph’s farm when Brother Maurice was transferred North in 1969. He worked with Bill Meaney and when Bill died in 1978 Br Eddie took over the sheep farming with the two sheep dogs Patch and Tinka and he also took on the administration of the farm

Brother Eddie did a special course to qualify as a wool-classer and worked as wool classer during the shearing time at the farm. He attended to the spraying of the crops and kept the windmills going which in itself was a big job. Eddy and John Phillis shared the burden of farm work during the new building stage of the Mission. When Fr Edmund Wehrmaker left Tardun in 1978, Brother Eddy was given the unenviable task of administration.

Eddie Wishart was a king and a gentleman.

(This overview of Br Eddie’s time in Tardun was originally written by Br Wim van Veen and used with his kind permission.)

Eddie raised his head and said to his family,
"Am I in Heaven?"  His sister replied, 
"I hope so, because we are here too."

Eddie Wishart was born on 10 April 1933 at North Perth. He attended Christian Brother’s College Leederville and showed above average ability academically and also excelled in cricket and tennis.

Due to the economic climate of the time Eddie was forced to leave school after attaining his Junior Certificate and commenced employment as a clerk with the Western Australian Government Railway. Although promoted and transferred to Bunbury, weekend visits to the family were an important part of his life.

After his dad died in 1961, Eddie’s thoughts and desires leaned towards the religious life. It must have been a difficult decision for him but with prayer, trust in God and the encouragement of his mother he decided to try out with the Pallottines at Millgrove in Victoria. His mother wasn’t quite sure who the Pallottines were, so she went with him to Millgrove to look after her boy. Obviously impressed she stayed on at Millgrove assisting with house duties.

"As far as we are concerned Eddie has lived his life with dignity and compassion for others. He was the quite achiever of whom we are immensely proud and we are sure that on Monday evening at three minutes to seven, he went to heaven. That’s our brother!"

This is very much how we all experienced him as a confrere. He also had a keen sense of humour.

In his personal report of 1994 he wrote: "a good amount of my time is carried out away from the community. I see my time at home in the community as an opportunity to help my confreres, and to foster a happy community spirit, to be prepared to do extra at times and to assist confreres and visitors when they stay with us that they are welcome and accepted by our community."