IF YOU ask anyone in Casterton if they know Robert Cottier, you’d probably receive a question, in reply: “Is he a rellie of Harry’s?”
He is, in fact, one and the same and this week, he celebrated his 90th birthday with a birthday party at the Casterton Bowling Club.
Robert William Cottier was born in Carlton at the Royal Women’s Hospital on the 20 August 1932, to Nicholas James and Alma Rita Cottier (nee Mullenger).
Named Robert Henry Cottier by his parents, a misprint on his birth certificate in which the wrong name was written saw him ‘officially’ become Robert William Cottier, but still ‘Harry’ to family and friends - the common nickname for Henry.
Harry’s father, Nicholas, was born in 1911 and lived in Milltown in Western Victoria.
During the school holidays, Nick would travel to Casterton and spent time with his cousins, the Tytherleigh family, who were builders.
These visits developed Nick’s interest in carpentry and electrical work, which later brought him to Casterton where he worked for Pedens, as a builder.
Peden was a prominent name in Casterton and the family owned a supermarket, furniture store as well as running a building and funeral services in the town.
Harry’s mother, Alma was born in 1906; originally from Melbourne, she moved to Casterton with a girlfriend, working as a cook at the Casterton Hotel, before meeting Nick and settling in the town.
In 1932 during the Great Depression, Nick and Alma moved to Melbourne to find employment.
At the outbreak of World War II, Nick joined the Australian Military Forces and signed up at the Area 5 Drill Hall, Moore Street, South Melbourne.
He discharged from the Army on 22 October, 1945, at the rank of Sergeant.
Harry said that while his father was overseas on active service, he and his mother moved quite frequently around the St Kilda, Murrenbenna and Williamstown areas of Melbourne.
After the war, Harry’s father Nick worked at the Newport Railway Workshops before being offered his old building job with Pedens; he accepted the offer and moved back to Casterton.
He would later change jobs and became the Casterton Town Hall hall-keeper; Nick and Alma would later return to Melbourne.
Harry went to school in Casterton and left school on his 14th birthday, without completing eighth grade or obtaining the then Merit Certificate, which was required as the education standard for career employment, and as a result he worked in manual type jobs.
Harry’s first job was at Myer’s Glove Factory in Casterton.
After six months, he became a grocer working at Coulson and Smith for 12 months, before the business closed.
He then worked in the Grocery Dept at R.S. Donald’s General Store, working there for approximately four years before moving to Melbourne.
In Melbourne, he worked as a stores-packer for two-and-a-half years with William Adams Company in the city, before moving and working for Johnson’s Wax as a storeman-salesman.
Harry returned to Casterton when he married Shirley Georgina Caddaye in 1958.
They built their family home at 28 Tuckett Street; years later Tuckett Street became a court and the Cottier family home address changed to 3 Hargreaves Court.
Harry recommenced work at R.S. Donald’s as a shop assistant in the hardware department, working in that capacity for 16 years until the business was sold to the Murray Goulburn Milk Co-Op.
He was offered to run the milk section of the business and delivered milk to homes and businesses throughout Casterton and the surrounding district.
At that time, there were three milk delivery companies in Casterton - Murray Goulburn, Baxter’s and Dowling’s.
Over time, Murray Goulburn’s sold their milk business to Baxter’s then later, Baxter’s sold their business to Dowling’s.
Harry worked for the three businesses.
With only one milk business left in Casterton, Dowling’s ceased their home delivery service and Harry was retrenched.
From there, Harry worked at the Jeffery Brothers Cordial factory which made soft drink and cordial, before finishing his working life working at Softwoods sawmill in Dartmoor.
In addition to full time employment, Harry over many years supplemented his income by doing additional part-time work, such as cleaning the Casterton Court House, teaching music at local schools and playing in many dance and rock bands in the district.
Harry is an extremely talented musician, playing a wide variety of instruments from percussion and woodwind to brass.
“I just liked listening to music and I used to go and watch a lot of bands growing up,” is Harry’s explanation of how his musical career started.
Self-taught, he used to play drums at the Casterton Primary School as a kid and after his father discharged from the Army, they lived in Williamstown and Harry played side-drum in the Williamstown Brass Band.
When his mother and father moved to Casterton around 1946, Harry joined the Casterton Vice Regal Band as a side drummer.
He said he thought there was more to music, so he taught himself the Eb bass, baritone, trombone and euphonium.
Regarding playing reed instruments, Harry said his father played drums in the Reg Holmes Dance Band which exposed him to dance music.
Harry taught himself alto saxophone first and started playing with his father with Reg Holmes.
When Terry Sharp, who lived in Coleraine, joined the Reg Holmes Dance Band, Harry bought himself a tenor saxophone to play in the band.
He said he and the late Brian Withers used to travel all over western Victoria playing at dances with different bands.
In later years, Harry played in a rock band called Aquila.
He said he was the old man of the band with the other members being half his age.
They played at all types of social events and weddings, playing the latest tunes on the radio such as Dr Hook’s ‘Only Sixteen’, Ted Mulry Gang’s ‘Dark Town Strutters Ball’ and Hush’s ‘Bony Moroney’.
He laughs, when explaining a lot of those number one rock hits weren’t that ‘new’, as he used to play the original versions of the songs in dance bands, years prior.
Harry was honoured earlier this year when he received a Certificate of Appreciation from RSL Victoria for his 74 years of service to ANZAC Day Services and volunteer certificate during volunteer week for his contribution to teaching music, services to the Casterton Vice Regal Band and Casterton service clubs.
His love of music continues down the generations, with his sons, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, fans of and talented in the musical arts.
