Mike Allison was a Dunsborough stalwart, he moved to the town with his family in 1978 to live in their small holiday home by the beach.
Sadly, Mike passed away aged 86 years on Thursday, August 28 surrounded by his family after a short battle with cancer.
Mike was one of the first businessmen in Dunsborough.
He bought an old shed on the main street and started a hardware store where he worked for nine years before diversifying the business to sell sports gear, ice, clothing, crafts and hired bikes.
Mike also volunteered with St John Ambulance, was a treasurer for carpet bowls, a cook for the men’s breakfasts and secretary of the Probus Club where he organised many fun activities for the oldies.
He was a man who liked to have fun, keep busy and charm everyone with his wit and humour, but mostly he enjoyed spending time with his family who he affectionately called by their nicknames.
Mike was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1931 his father was a doctor and his mother passed away when he was eight years old.
He left school at 17 and wasn’t sure what to do in life, his step mum was an Australian nurse who had ties with a QLD cattle station where he went to work as a jackaroo.
In 1949 he set sail for Sydney on the SS Stratheden with this sister, who left Scotland with Mike to work as a governess on the station.
After three years in the outback, Mike headed back to Sydney and got work on a farm near Lake Cargellico in the Riverina region of NSW.
After a few years of working in the area, Mike made his way back to Scotland to see his family, on his way back to Australia - on the SS Strathnaver – he met his bride-to-be Barbara.
His future wife lived in Perth, and after Mike returned to Sydney he made his way to the West Coast as he heard farmland was cheaper in WA.
Mike bought a farm near Narrogin and married Barbara in July 1959, they farmed the land for 16 years and had five children during this time.
After injuring his back, Mike gave farming away and decided to move the family to their holiday home in Dunsborough where he setup the hardware store.
When Mike was semi-retired he worked as a tour guide with the Ningali Caves and Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse.
Mike kept working at Cape Lodge as a maintenance man well into his 70’s before he retired, still helping out with the many community groups he was involved with.
His son Rob Allison recalls that his dad Mike was an amazing man with an incredible zest for life.
“He had a great sense of humour and made many a waitress blush by simply turning on his silky smooth French accent,” he said.
“Our dad – in form – was simply hilarious and the life of the party.
“He had an amazing ability to connect with people through humour and this meant he made friends very easily.
“He also liked the simple things in life like bush walking and snorkeling at his favourite spots in Curtis Bay and Castle Rock.”
