The Shed That Dreamed
Once upon a winter ’ s moon in times so long gone bye One fateful dawn , a day was born , when underdogs could fly When history was young again and no bridge seemed un-crossable Horizons stretched eternally and everything was possible On boundaries long forgotten , near a train line , it is said In the country town of Crows Nest , there emerged a certain shed Unremarkable in stature , timber floors and iron roof Yet it wasn ’ t any normal shed and destiny bore proof For something in its heart and soul magnificently streamed And amidst the sound of progress , so it was ... the shed that dreamed
Just imagine if those walls could talk ... imagine what you ’ d hear ! The rumble and the tumble of the ancient auctioneer ! The wisdom of the whisperers , the yappers and the yellers The hustle and the bustle of the buyers and the sellers This empire we see today , this force across the planet It started with a humble sale , one single bid began it ! But the growers and the graziers were people of the land And the sky possessed no limit – they were eager to expand The rise of rural real estate , it consequently gleamed And a young man saw the future in the shed that bravely dreamed
There he is ! The son of Joseph , smiling with the day The sun was shining warmly on the kid they christened ‘ Ray ’ From Tassie up to Thargo ’, then the old Crow gave a cheer ! When the family migrated to embrace a new frontier ! Ambitiously connected , visions swirling in his head Florence Wilcox joined him and the pair were duly wed The toast of a society progressively succeeding And Flo was not a stranger to the benefits of breeding That shed would have some company – the train was on the tracks Now the carriage boasted Marjorie with Alan , Joyce & Max !
A sense of opportunity too tempting to ignore Real estate was roaring – it was 1924 Gravity unstoppable – it lured him down the range ‘ Destination Brisbane ’ in a passionate exchange A nation with momentum and a city on the go An office that was perfect – near the busy GPO Comprehensive marketing defined the execution Of a leader in the trenches of a housing revolution Extending through the suburbs , getting stronger in the fight Everyone in Queensland knew the heavyweight ... Ray White !
A dynasty was forming , yes , a ‘ juggernaut ’ they said Yet the secret to the sale was still the spirit of the shed Petrol prices rising – it was twenty cents a gallon ! Another war survived and then the baton passed to Alan And Alan was a student with a keen courageous eye Alan was a gentleman whose aim was very high Alan built the business – his philosophy was grand Alan was a champion who dignified the brand
The other fact worth mentioning when loading up the guns As a father and a patriarch ... Alan had two sons ! He identified the moment with the pride that good men bleed “ It ’ s time for me to go ” he said , “ It ’ s time for you to lead ” And the surname echoed once again in letters bold and bright The brand became an icon under Brian & Paul White Exploding through the 80s in a crack collaboration Handing keys to franchisees and conquering a nation ! State by state , that golden banner brilliantly unfurled Then waved its aspiration in a blaze around the world The dizzy heights of commerce shone a blinding light it seemed But the brothers knew the secret ... it was in the shed that dreamed ...
Deep inside their DNA , the ghost of voices past Across the downs and up the rise ... a search light duly cast The fact , you see , was actually a cause for some dismay That shed was lost in transit – it had fallen by the way With the hundredth year approaching , so the word was spread around Then somewhere , in a lonely field , the Holy Grail was found ! Silent to the bidding mob and whips that once were cracked Faded , rusted , bare ... but with its heartbeat still in tact And the surge of raw emotion , when , beyond that sacred line Brian stepped inside ... and felt a shiver down his spine ...
To understand the journey and the secrets held within The end point of the circle is the point where you begin With Dan the latest general doing proud the Ray White scene Investment and Advisory – from Hotels to Marine Leadership continues with the fourth proud generation A mortgage-broking powerhouse through Sam ’ s administration The management of property is Ben ’ s unfailing goal While Matt connects with Rural roots and keeps it on a roll Community and charity lend critical acclaim To a champion inducted in the Business Hall of Fame ! With every home , with every smile , with every star that glows With every new horizon , so the Ray White story grows ...
But the truth lies in the timber – in the echo of the boards In the corrugated iron and the view that time affords Every nail that binds the structure , every hinge that holds the door It all comes back to one thing – nothing less and nothing more The history , the heartbeat , every daughter , every son This tale is one of family when all is said and done A simple , humble concept that , today , stands undefeated And so it will continue when tomorrow ’ s dawn is greeted Behold the opportunity ! The legacy succeeders ! Behold the destination and the next brave wave of leaders ! Behold that future chapter optimistically esteemed ! Behold the Ray White legend ... and behold the shed that dreamed !
Rupert McCall © 2022
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