Two sisters, Beryl and Jean, followed soon after. 

Keith spent his childhood years growing up on the family property ‘Eldon’ at Ando, and like many Rumphs before and after, Keith attended Ando Primary School.

Keith was awarded a scholarship to attend high school at Cleveland Street Boys High in Sydney, where he boarded with his grandparents in Maroubra.

Upon finishing high school at the age of 16, Keith received an apprenticeship as a draftsman with the Railways Department, based at Eveleigh Carriageworks in Redfern. 

While studying as a draftsman, Keith learnt many skills that would underpin his later years as a farmer – anyone who ever worked with Keith would know that he never built a single thing, not even a dog kennel, without a detailed meticulous, to-scale plan. 

During this time Keith was an active member of Maroubra Baptist Church. 

It was through this connection that he was invited to be groomsman at the wedding of his good friend, Ken Walsh. 

Ken’s sister was a bridesmaid at this wedding, and it was at these festivities that Keith had the good fortune of meeting the lovely Doreen Walsh. 

Life in Sydney was good for Doreen and Keith – both working in proximity to the city and socialising with friends, attending ice-skating parties, the beach and theatre shows. 

In 1945, while at the picture theatre, Keith asked for Doreen’s hand in marriage and they became engaged. 

While enjoying this happy time Keith’s father Eric unexpectedly passed away at the age of 51.

Being the eldest son, Keith returned home to Eldon to manage and run the farm for his mother.

Shortly afterwards Doreen received a letter in the mail from Keith asking her whether she would consider moving to Ando to begin their married life. 

This was a big decision for Doreen given she was a Sydney-sider through and through. 

Her own mother had even deemed a block of land they had been considering purchasing in Sydney 15km away was “too far”, so the thought moving 500km was very daunting.

However Keith’s charm proved too strong and after a wedding in Sydney in May, 1946, Doreen moved to Ando. 

In 1947 Keith and Doreen’s first child Graham was born. 

This was followed by Brian in 1950, Lynette in 1953 and Philip in 1957. 

With four children, his wife, mother and grandmother all under the same roof Eldon became a very busy and full home for many years.

A key memory of the Rumph children are of motherless lambs getting prime place in front of the fire and the kids being relegated to the back.

Keith and Doreen worked tirelessly to put their four children through boarding school and further education.

Family was always very important to Keith but equally important to him was involvement in the local community. 

Keith was involved with a very long list of community groups.

He was integral in the establishment of the Ando Bush Fire Brigade in 1946 and in 2010 he was awarded a Rural Fire Brigade Long Service Medal for 60 years of continual involvement.

Keith was involved in the Ando Agricultural Machinery Co-Op – which owned machinery such as headers and loaned it out to farmers in district.

Keith was also instrumental in supporting the Ando Public School and P&C committee, Ando Hall committee, Ando Tennis club, just to name a few.

From the outset a large part of Keith’s life was the Presbyterian Church, and he conducted a variety of roles including treasurer and secretary. 

Keith became session clerk in 1987 and held this position until he resigned in 2010. 

In 1954 Keith was ordained and inducted into the Eldership of the 

Bombala Presbyterian Church. 

Keith was involved in a number of projects including the procurement and installation of the Manse and in his 91 years rarely failed to attend church on Sunday. 

He planted many of the tree breaks that remain on the property today and established a potato business on Eldon, ploughing them up with horses and sorting them by hand. 

Even in his later years at Eldon Keith always had a roaring vegetable patch and fruit trees galore.

Keith was grandfather of five and great-grandfather of six.

The grandchildren share memories of Pop cutting up the banana peels into small chunks for the chooks to eat, and most importantly the sad day that Nan no longer allowed Pop, and by default us, to have full fat Blue Ribbon ice-cream and cream with his dessert after lunch. 

As a father-in-law Keith was always supportive and happy to assist wherever possible. 

Despite ‘retiring’ in 2000, Keith only stopped helping on the farm five years ago at the age of 86.

For the last 18 months Keith and Doreen received the care and attention of the wonderful staff at Currawarna. 

We are desperately sad to say goodbye to Keith – he is very much loved by his family and community and we will all feel this loss. 

We would like to take this time to celebrate the 91 years of his life, 68 of these spent married to the amazing Doreen. 

He lived a full life and has been an excellent role model to us all.

We love you and miss you.