Keith Elliott is a dedicated volunteer known across the region. He is the Treasurer of the Maryborough and District Antique Car Club and volunteers at the Hervey Bay Historical Village and Museum, the Nikenbah Miniature Railway Village, and MELSA, where he drives his own miniature train in Queens Park, Maryborough.
For over a decade, Keith handled mechanical repairs and display restorations at the museum, working on projects like the shark display from Vic Hislop’s former museum and rebuilding a 1903 Oldsmobile replica. Now, due to health challenges, including cancer and Crohn’s Disease, he oversees other volunteers who carry out the jobs.
At 82, Keith refuses to slow down—staying active is in his nature, even if he can’t do as much as before.
Born in Essendon, Victoria, in 1943, Keith grew up with a brother and, as he jokes, “three fathers—most kids had four, so we were lucky!” His parents split when he was three, and his mum remarried twice more.
At 14, he started as an apprentice fitter and turner before becoming a motor mechanic.
Later, Keith married and had three daughters, but the marriage wasn’t too last. In Rainbow, he worked as a Ford service manager and ran the local theatre, earning a projectionist’s permit before planning a move back to Melbourne.
This helped him land a job at GTV Channel 9 in the black-and-white TV era, rolling film for commercials and working on In Melbourne Tonight with Graham Kennedy.
“I remember Graham Kennedy getting sacked multiple times—I even attended two of his farewell parties! Those were wild days,” Keith recalls.
After five years, he left television and returned to fixing cars. A visit to Mildura for a paddle steamer christening inspired him to build his own, The Emma, which he lived on briefly before selling was one of his greatest achievements.
Thanks to another friend, Keith applied for a job in the videotape department at Channel 0, where he spent the next 20 years. He worked his way up from operating videotapes to editing major dramas and shows.
“Editing was a hands-on process back then,” Keith explains. “We worked with massive two-inch reel-to-reel tapes. If you missed a cut, you got a double edit! We’d record in the afternoon, send the audience home, then edit all night—often with a bottle of wine.”
Channel 0 later became Channel 10 and transitioned to colour. Keith edited iconic shows like Neighbours, Prisoner, and Let the Blood Run Free. He even cut Neighbours’ famous wedding scene between Charlene (Kylie Minogue) and Scott (Jason Donovan) and every episode of the Australian version of Are You Being Served?
Director Bob Spiers, visiting from England, was so impressed that he offered Keith a job overseas. “I wish I’d taken it—he went on to direct Fawlty Towers! But I had a wife and kids, so I stayed,” said Keith.
Keith met Judy 41 years ago at a singles night, where both were dragged by heartbroken friends. Keith, learning to dance, spotted Judy, and they danced all night. Their friends left miserable, but Keith and Judy went home madly in love.
Their first date was the next day at the Channel 10 Kids’ Christmas Party. Keith brought his youngest daughter, and Judy brought hers—they were testing the waters. With Keith’s three daughters and Judy’s two kids, they soon became their own version of The Brady Bunch. This March, they celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary.
On the Gold Coast, they launched their own production company, Video Tape Editing, working on TV shows, filming Summer Surf Girls, and even creating their own series, Out and About, producing 26 episodes.
Keith and Judy have lived in Hervey Bay for roughly 12 years and love it. Keith paints animals, with his collection adorning their walls. His passion for vintage cars includes a prized 1929 Marquette in original condition.
Keith embraces life with passion, humour, and determination, with Judy always by his side.
By Kim Parnell
From What’s On Fraser Coast Magazine
