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Who Is Earth Angel 181?
“Tim Barritt was born in ‘The Barossa Valley’ of South Australia – on 18.1.1951, which answers your first question of ‘where did the 181 come from! The other half, ‘Earth Angel’ – he has carried in his heart – since he first ‘popped out’! (See ‘about Earth Angel 181’)
‘The Family Farm’ (The Ranch) called Highlands is a 2,300 Acre steep and rugged grazing property in the Barossa Ranges, east of Lyndoch in the beautiful and rich Barossa Valley. It is currently running Merino sheep, Angus cattle and cropping for hay. This has been his home, workplace, spirit and heart base for all of his life. He is a successful farmer in his own right.
Educated locally and in Adelaide, in 1972 he took his poems and guitar to London where he spent some time as a busker in the ‘underground’, also writing and reading poems in the many poetry circles around this town. This was one of the richest times in his life.
Returning home he married in 1975. He then ‘disappeared’ into ‘farm, work and family’ for 35 years, only ‘emerging’ in 2010 with the new ‘mantle and responsibility’, Poet and Earth Angel 181, after his ‘life partner with whom he shared all of this 35 years’, departed the scene – searching for greener pastures.
He is the very proud father of three beautiful daughters. (See poem ‘My Loving Arms Around You). He was an active contributor to the Land Care movement in the ‘90’s, in particular in saving gum trees from vineyard developers and promoting better land use practises.
Another very proud achievement was being the founding Chairman of the Barossa Chapter of ‘Workaholic’s Anonymous’. Unfortunately, he had to relinquish the chair – due to lack of time to attend meetings!!!
He has self published two books of poems, ‘Harvest Time of Dying’ 1989, and ‘Common Thread’ 1995.
In the last decade he has turned his attention to Men’s Health, starting a bi monthly column “Male Box” – in a local newspaper “The Bunyip” in June 2007, currently funded by the Gawler Health Foundation. After being touched by cancer in 2009, he has broadened his focus into “Community Health”, realising that many health issues like cancer, separation and depression are ‘shared’ between the sexes, and the best way of improving men’s health is work within their existing family/relationship and health structure.
His passion for life and good health comes from watching his own father die of prostate cancer at the age of 64. In his own words, ‘He got Prostate Cancer at the age of 63, he took 18 months to die and I watched it happen, before carrying what was left of him out of the house, on the other end of the stretcher –from the undertaker!’
Also from his own many and varied personal experiences – with many aspects of life and living – within our local community.
A deep – but very positive thinker – his poems and social commentary are often seen in the local press. With his goal of living until he is 90, and he is a very keen team member of the Gawler Squash Club.”
Some important events in his life which have helped fashion and craft the thoughts and emotion in the poems on this site include…
• Getting sent away from his farm as a 9 year old boy, to an all male boarding school for nine years (‘8 ½ of the unhappiest years of his life’)
• Spending 18 months living in London from 1972, the last half working as a busker in the London Underground.
• Being ‘touched’ by sexual abuse – well rape actually – as a 15 year old boy.
• Spending the next 6 years of his life after this in emotional and sexual ‘isolation’.
• A long relationship with his ‘Life Partner’ Rose. This had ‘everything’ that life could offer a man, from the complete highs – to the lows, and lasted just 3 weeks short of their 34th wedding anniversary. An ended, sadly. In nothing.
• The approx 10 days he spent, starting in 1989 – sitting all day, mostly alone- outside of the ‘Native Vegetation Authority’ in Adelaide, to save his precious, beautiful and often huge Red Gum Trees from destruction for vineyard development, will always be high on the list of things which he is most proud of.
• Being ‘brushed’ by depression.
• And touched by Cancer. (Melanoma 2009). Outcome ‘all good’!
- A heart attack – which started on the squash court 14.8.13. One stent in. Outcome and my outlook – all good! x
• He’s ‘fallen ‘in love’ with the stars, and the night time sky. He often walks with his 3 dogs – any time between twilight Dusk and twilight Dawn!
This is ‘my church’ he says. ‘It’s the biggest cathedral in the world’!!
Tim Barritt. 16.1.14. xxx
Earth Angel 181