Latitude 40 Podcast - Colleen Patterson

A corner shop in Lady Barron can be more than a place to buy bread and an Icy Pole. It can be the post office, the newsagency, the petrol pump, the unofficial counselling room, and the spot where kids get their first job and their first taste of being trusted.

In the last series of Season 2, ‘Stories from the Edge’ Jacqui is joined by Colleen Patterson, affectionately known as Mrs P, whose life on Flinders Island charts a living history of the Furneaux Islands. We talk about arriving from Hobart with a nursing background, buying the little shop beside the Flinders Island Aboriginal Association building, and learning business the hard way after the sudden loss of her husband Cyril. Along the way we hear how Lady Barron once ran to the rhythm of fishing boats, and how community entertainment meant dance nights with live music instead of screens.

Mrs P shares the practical kindness that shaped generations: running roller skating nights at the hall, setting firm rules to keep kids safe, taking teenagers camping at Big River, and stepping in to foster when young people needed stability. We also dig into heritage and adventure: fundraising to strengthen the local church one “brick” at a time, leasing Little Green Island and Chapel Island, muttonbird-season mishaps, and the unforgettable reality of snakes in the scrub. Her closing hope is simple and sharp: respect one another.

Listen here or wherever you listen to your podcasts!