Bev's story
Why are you waking me at midnight?
Bev recalls a happy childhood: going bush with her dad who taught her to shoot, and hanging out with the other ‘shoeless forest kids’ who played together around the Duntroon Military College where Bev’s dad was stationed.
Bev decided to pursue nursing as a career and also became a dive master, experiencing more than 3500 dives.
After leaving a stressful job as a nurse unit manager, Bev and her husband Barry pursued their love of travel. Journeying to the South Pacific and Asia, Bev recalls a charmed existence which included diving and snorkelling in Indonesia.
Bev and Barry returned to Aceh after the Tsunami of 2004 and with the local people built a bungalow in the jungle and lived a wonderfully carefree life. It was while living here that Bev’s world went black within 48 hours.
Not being able to do some of the simple things previously taken for granted, and feeling like she’d been served a prison sentence, Bev began a search for ways to live a full life differently. There were challenges, and grief: “After being so accomplished… not being able to feed my dad ice-cream in his final days was one of the darkest moments.”
A gradual reassessment of life goals and ambitions saw Bev return to Aceh, publish the children’s book Along Came Henry in 2012, and embrace different challenges. Many new skills and opportunities later, Bev has come to see her life as ‘blessed and very lucky.’
Bev's interview
In 2016, as part of the Untold Stories: living with ability project, the Tweed Regional Museum undertook a series of oral history interviews.
The following excerpt is transcribed from the audio recording of the interview with Bev Larsson on 10 March 2016.
In the interview, conducted by Melina Morrow, Bev talks about working and living overseas; a busy professional nursing and management career in Sydney; extensive travel in Indonesia; moving to the Tweed; the impact of suddenly losing her sight; and the life challenges and opportunities that has brought.
Collecting things to use and remember
Bev and her husband Baz, a professional photographer, enjoy travel and spent many years living and travelling in Indonesia. Bev loved collecting and bringing home items to use - everyday reminders of people and places.
All the items exhibited here were collected before Bev lost her sight. She travels differently now and doesn’t collect as much.
The textile and the wooden carving of three faces were collected from the area around Lake Toba; the large wooden figurative pestle, which Bev uses as a convenient way to store rubber bands, is from the island of Nias. The stone mortar and pestle were purchased in Denpasar.
The story of Bev and Henry
After suddenly and unexpectedly losing her sight, Bev Larsson learnt many new skills, including using a long cane, and reading Braille. But it was guide dog Henry who brought the most profound change to her life.
Bev and Henry were inseparable during their first three years together. Although Bev had previously travelled extensively, she didn’t travel at all during this time. These first years were an important bonding period in both their lives, which Bev has captured beautifully in the children’s book Along Came Henry.
Bev and her companion Henry give public presentations, particularly to school groups. After one such occasion Bev was presented with this painting by a student. When asked what the painting was about, the artist Cordelia replied, ‘Bev’s talk makes my heart feel bigger’.
