The Salvation Army’s Christmas Day lunch is a tradition that dates back more than 40 years when former mayor Roy Burr and his wife Connie provided lunch for a handful of homeless people. Roy and Connie’s nephew Geoff Burr shared with Caitlyn Morgan how the lunch now provides plenty of Christmas cheer for close to 200 people.
The generosity of the Burr family started what would become a Christmas tradition for decades thereafter.
The Salvation Army-run Christmas Day lunch evolved from when former mayor Roy Burr, a Salvation Army member, and his wife Connie provided meals to a handful of homeless people one Christmas Day during the 1960s.
“Roy and his wife didn’t have children and were only celebrating Christmas on their own so Roy decided to drive down the river where he knew people were living and shared hot packs of chicken and chips with them,” his nephew Geoff Burr recalls.
“When there started to be too many people, Roy and his brother, my father Ross would pick up as many of them as they could and take them to the church for lunch.
“It was all out of his own pocket. He would always pay for whatever was needed.”
Geoff says when people got wind of what was happening they donated food for the day and their time to help serve the lunch.
“Aunty Connie would be up to all hours of the night on Christmas Eve peeling potatoes ready for the next day,” he says.
“She was the one in the background who did a lot of the work.
“I remember being involved from a young age, going to help set up and then cooking a dozen chooks for the lunch.
“It did snowball with more and more people each year and at one point it got close to 200 people.”
The lunch evolved from an event for the homeless to a lunch for anyone not wanting to spend Christmas alone.
“A lot of people wanted to just come and help with many bringing their children to help serve,” Geoff says.
“It was about teaching them the meaning of Christmas – that it wasn’t just about getting gifts but also giving.”
Geoff remembers often seeing the same families each year.
“For many it became a tradition,” he says.
“It might have started off for the homeless but it became a place for anyone, it didn’t matter who you were, it was a place you could spend Christmas with others and not alone.”
Roy continued to run the Christmas lunch into the 2000s.
“He did it right up until he couldn’t drive. He would have been in his 80s and just couldn’t do it anymore,” Geoff says.
“That’s when it swapped over to the Salvation Army and they have continued on with his legacy.”
Geoff says it’s really special to see that his uncle’s legacy still lives on.
“It’s a great thing – I am pleased that they have been able to keep it going and continue to ensure nobody has to spend Christmas alone,” he says.
“Uncle Roy was a very generous and genuine person who just wanted to help people celebrate Christmas.
“He was just happy to help others.”
