Community
23 July, 2026
Celebrating Roger
FROM the elation of Terang’s 1950s premiership streak under legendary coach Dick Wearmouth to weekly mischief with the town’s last surviving World War Two veteran, Roger Primmer reflects on his remarkable 92 years.
Mr Primmer celebrated his birthday last week at the Terang Returned and Services League (RSL) sub-branch, surrounded by the friends he has made over the past 16 years with the club.
He said he had first joined the sub-branch in a bid to secure grant funding for the Men’s Shed, but was surprised to find himself quickly thrust into a leadership position.
“Around at the Men’s Shed we were told if there was three members at the RSL we would be able to get some kind of grant,” he said.
“Three of us joined up, which made eight at the meeting at that stage.
“It was an annual general meeting and Smokey Cole said to Kevin Molan, “You’ve been a captain of the fire brigade so you’ll make a good president”.
“I ended up being vice president but Kevin was having some health troubles at the time so after 12 months he had to give it away, and I became president for a couple of years.”
While Mr Primmer insists he didn’t do much, those around him have a completely different story to tell.
Terang RSL sub-branch secretary treasurer Pam Bell said Mr Primmer stepping into the presidency was the moment the town’s Anzac Day services began to grow.
“Roger went around and visited all the schools prior to Anzac Day and invited everyone to be involved, knowing once you get the children involved you will also get the parents,” she said.
“That’s where, behind Roger’s initiative, the acceleration of our Anzac Day and membership growth began.
“It was a huge initiative which continues to this day with the inclusion of children who attend the service and lay a wreath on behalf of their school.”
During his tenure as president, Mr Primmer was also a driving force in a range of other projects, including the lighting at the Terang War Memorial which illuminates the obelisk at night.
“The best thing is when we would run raffles I was always about to get people involved, knowing people who would be good at selling them – I always made sure I could get two people,” he said.
“I suppose that’s my bit of contribution.”
Throughout his years with the Terang RSL sub-branch, Mr Primmer has formed a particularly close bond with World War Two veteran Len Pomeroy.
The two long-term Terang residents had grown up just down the street from one another, but in their younger years the 10-year age difference kept them from getting to know one another.
The pair would go on build a close friendship after Mr Primmer offered to collect Mr Pomeroy for weekly sub-branch meetings, which grew to become trips across the region.
“Len lived just down the road from the RSL hall and wasn’t driving anymore, so I suggested I could pick him up as I was the closest,” he said.
“It’s just gone ever since and by hell we’ve travelled a lot of miles.
“Normally after a Wednesday meeting we could get into the car and go 160 kilometres across the region, going around and stopping at a bunch of places for a cuppa.
“Quite a lot of little cafes got to know us from Koroit to Skipton, Darlington to Allansford.”
Connection in civilian life with others who had served in the military is something Mr Primmer believes is important, and far too lacking for those who have concluded their services these days.
Mr Primmer was enlisted to National Service at 18 years old, where he served at the primary initial training base in Puckapunyal.
“Mr Menzies (Prime Minister, Robert) gave me six months of National Service in 1953,” he said.
“We did our service up there in transport trucks in convoys which was a great experience, as far as I was concerned, because it was my first time away from home.
“I had good friends, there were three of us where if you saw one of us you would see three of us, and we kept that going even after coming home.
“We learned a few little tricks, such as being last in line at meal time so we could get what was left over – instead of one egg and one piece of bacon, we could have our fill.
“It was tough going but, as my brother was in the army, it made me appreciate all he went through.”
After returning to Terang following his service, Mr Primmer said he had hardly set foot off the train before he was recruited to suit up for the Terang Football Club.
“I had just got home from Puckapunyal when I was pulled over by Bill Scroggie and Dave Porter, the policemen,” he said.
“I wondered what I had done as I’d only just got off the train and Bill said he wanted me to meet the new football coach by the name of Dick Wearmouth.”
Mr Primmer said he was in good shape from daylight runs and lifting weights as part of his National Service, and quickly set about making his mark on the club he would ultimately become a multiple time premiership winner for, and life member of.
“We got going and, for a while, I was just filling in around the ground before I was switched to the halfback flank alongside my brother in law, Ian Grayland,” he said.
“I remember one time we were up at Colac and Ian gave the Colac player-coach the nicest elbow he’d ever seen, brought his knee up and smashed his jaw.
“(Dick) Wearmouth said to me the following week I’d be playing at centre halfback, and that’s where I stayed until I finished after I’d done my knee.”
Mr Primmer went on to play an integral role in the club’s mid-50s streak of success, playing in three successive grand finals from 1954-1956.
Terang would lose in the 1954 finals to South Warrnambool before earning back-to-back wins the following years against Colac and Port Fairy, which included a best and fairest nod in 1954.
“During those years you could bet I was in the top five or six,” he said.
“The day of the 1955 grand final I was on Pat Twomey, the Collingwood player and coach at Colac, and 10 minutes into the first quarter he was taking me away every time the ball came my way.
“I said to Dick he was taking me out of the game, and he said to just stay with him.
“The following Wednesday Pat Twomey was named among Colac’s best players, for keeping the up-and-coming centre halfback out of the game.
“It was the only time I wasn’t in the top five or six best players.”
Mr Primmer remained at the top of his game until injury derailed his success, which saw him make the switch to Allansford.
“I ended up going to Allansford in 1964 where I was a share-farmer to raise a family, but kept playing on – admittedly, on one leg,” he said.
“The minute we arrived I had Allansford people knocking on my door, but I was only on one leg.
“During my time I got to go against some great players such as my cousin Frank Primmer, who went on to play for South Melbourne and Geelong’s Leo Turner, who made the Cats’ Team of the Century.”
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