The Mayne Football Club would like to acknowledge the passing of Carl Bartels, one of their most significant benefactors in the Tiger’s long history.
Carl passed away peacefully this week aged 91. He hadn’t been well for the last couple of years and had just entered palliative care.
Carl will be very fondly remembered particularly by the many people who enjoyed the halcyon days of the Mayne Tigers at Windsor Park where he and his lifelong business partner Keith Beavis were key in developing the grounds and the biggest and most impressive sporting home in Brisbane. The Tiger’s two story clubhouse adjacent to Windsor Park was ahead of its’ time in design and provided the club with a home like no other as well as an income stream which was unequalled at the time.
While not many will know, Carl was another product of Ascot State School, the Tigers football factory for many decades where champions like Alec McGill, Don Barber, Barry Coghill, Brian Warlow and many others graduated. Carl played footy at Ascot and also had a few years at the Mayne Tigers while growing up but footy wasn’t his real passion as he moved on from school.
Carl spent a couple of years in his teens with an Aunt in Tallebudgera and had the opportunity to go hunting in the Tallebudgera Valley, a passion which he took up in serious fashion once he left school. Carl would go on to hunt across nearly all the continents of the world with his friend Bob Grant accumulating unique trophies from their many adventures together. The Clubhouse at Windsor Park housed a large Tiger skin which had everyone in awe for the time and folklore had it that Carl had been the one who shot this animal but that wasn’t the case. Carl was approached by a third party who had acquired the skin which Carl purchased as an impressive item which was proudly displayed behind glass at the top of the stairs as you entered the function room of the club. While perhaps not so fondly regarded these days, it was a very impressive and highly regarded artefact of the time as was the sport of big game hunting.
Carl grew up in Abbotsford Road, Bowen Hills not far from Perry Park and could not have been immune from the influence of the Mayne Tigers. After school he qualified top of his class to complete his plumbing apprenticeship and in the next few years made a friendship with another Tiger in Keith Beavis. They agreed to create a partnership which lasted a lifetime and in turn one of the most successful businesses of its’ kind which worked on some of the largest projects in Queensland. While Keith was the Mayne Committee man who led the club as a much loved President and Patron, Carl was right next to him with a philanthropic attitude to community clubs and charities so the Tigers prospered along with the success of Beavis and Bartels. The pairing of their names is synonymous with the Mayne Tigers and the list of club projects sponsored or facilitated by Beavis and Bartels is almost endless.
There will be many players who can thank Carl and Keith for the apprenticeships or work opportunities as a result of their generous nature and love for the Tigers. It was a remarkable thing that many will recall how many players were in the plumbing trade.
Cal and his much loved wife Carmel had three children, Narda, Leigh and Brian who were all part of the Mayne Family dutifully attending club games and functions enjoying their time as part of a thriving club. Brian played for a number of years for the Tigers as a tall bustling ruckman and is still keeping the family name involved with the club through family sponsorship in the name of Beavis and Bartels with Keith’s son Greg and his family. Carl has left a considerable legacy in numerous ways but he also created a dynasty and was particularly proud of his ten grandchildren and nine great grandchildren at last count. The Tigers are very pleased to have these families and their names alive and well as part of the club’s current arrangements.
Carl in conjunction with Keith also extended their considerable generosity to other community organisations through long associations with the Kirra Surf Life Saving Club, Hervey Bay Surf Life Saving Club and the Kilcoy Race Club. Both Carl and Keith were honoured with Life Governorship at the Kirra Surf Life Saving Club while their association with the Kilcoy Race Club goes back forty years and is being continued by the two families today.
The Mayne Tigers extends their sincerest condolences and best wishes to Carl’s family on his passing.
A service to honour Carl’s life will be held at the Albany Creek Crematorium next Friday 11th February 2022 at 11.00am to be followed by a celebration at the Eaton’s Hill Hotel commencing at 12.00pm.
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