It’s ironic that Steve Burton, who read the newspaper from back to front because, in the words of his niece Grace, “nothing good ever came from the front of the paper”, ended up exactly there a few days after he passed away.
Known simply as ‘Steve’, always accompanied by trusty 16-year-old kelpie sidekick Gaia, he was known by many throughout the region, particularly Ocean Grove and Belmont, for living rough, but always by choice.
Steve and Gaia passed away on November 30 and the news was met with an outpouring of grief and emotion.
About 100 mourners, and half as many dogs, gathered at Ocean Grove Park on Saturday 13 December for a public memorial service, but the man himself probably wouldn’t have approved.
“He would have hated it,” niece Grace said.
“In human form, he would have hated it. In spirit form, hoping he loved it. It was an amazing turnout.”
Steve was a self-described ‘existentialist’, not homeless. He chose to drift, free from mortgage, debt and the daily grind. He chose the life of a wanderer and did what many of us dream of – he lived life exactly the way he wanted.
Steve could be intimidating at times, boisterous and brutally honest, but underneath the rough exterior was a man with a love of reading, a razor-sharp memory and a willingness to listen to others.
“I think Uncle Steve and Gaia have left an unfillable hole in the community,” Grace said.
“When I heard so many people’s stories, not only about how they cared for Uncle, but also so many stories of how Uncle showed care for them.
“He was quite charismatic, a little bit of a mystery and he was resolutely himself, which is not what many of us can do without shame or embarrassment.
“He could be incoherent to others, but he was as clear as a bell to himself.”
While the public memorial might have embarrassed Steve, it was more for the community to say goodbye to a man who rarely accepted, nor wanted, help.
“The loss was awful, but the memorial was beautiful,” Grace said.
“It felt strangely vibrant and colourful and to see so many community members take their time to pay their respects and share their stories was lovely.”
