Neville Owen should be dead but yesterday he was living life to the fullest out-bidding the competition during an auction at Dubbo City Caravan Park.
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The Lachlan Shire Citizen of the Year and “Honourary Mayor of Albert” spent $65,000 on four ensuite cabins without blinking an eye.
He would have bought all six surplus transportable dwellings offered by Dubbo City Council but didn’t want to appear greedy when a sizeable crowd gathered looking for a good buy.
Mr Owen plans to relocate the cabins to the Rabbit Trap Hotel at Albert where he is working on an outback tourist destination centred around a giant 11 metre high, 22 metre long rabbit trap.
“My aim is to create something like the Big Banana at Coffs Harbour,’’ he said.
“I want travellers to stop in Albert to enjoy the wonderful lifestyle and hospitality on offer.’’
The tourist venture is very much a labour of love for Mr Owen who runs a successful fuel distribution business at Albert and Tottenham.
He purchased the Albert hotel in 1998 to keep it in his home village. Part of Australian folklore, the hotel was the model for celebrated cartoonist Jolliffe who created the ‘Saltbush Bill’ cartoon series.
Buying the pub was a way of saying thanks to the community that helped saved Mr Owen’s life following an horrific motorcycle accident on May 21, 2005.
Returning from a day in the bush Mr Owen and his then 11-year-old son Jason collided with a kangaroo.
“Jason rolled me onto my stomach and kept me alive,’’ Mr Owen said.
“He didn’t leave my side until after midnight when the searchers finally found us.’’
Mr Owen was in a coma for nine days and spent six weeks in hospital.
“The power of positive thinking kept me alive and I left hospital with an entirely new appreciation of life. I know that family, health and happiness mean everything. There’s definitely more to life than making money.’’
Mr Owen said renowned Dubbo clairvoyant Ethel Steadman predicted he would be involved in a motor bike accident.
“She told me years ago that I needed to be careful and should stay off bikes,’’ he said.
“It’s amazing to think that the prediction came true. A lot of people from Albert and around the district sent messages of support while I was at Royal Prince Alfred hospital.
“The staff were stunned when 249 get well cards arrived. They had never seen anything like it.
I truly appreciate what the community did for me.
When you come close to death you just want to give something back.’’
