By Raia Flinos
AT 94 years old, Frank Brown is living proof that creativity knows no age. A beloved gem to the community of Hastings, Frank has become an unlikely celebrity at FiRST Early Learning Hastings thanks to his handcrafted dioramas.
What began as a personal hobby has become a gift to local children and families. Frank creates miniature masterpieces; detailed, life-like landscapes built from dense foam, cardboard, and paint, some of which now sit proudly in the early learning centre.
This latest chapter is only one part of Frank’s remarkable life. Born and raised in Northern England, Frank met his wife Jean on a blind date when he was 18 and they were married two years later. They laugh thinking about their wedding day. “Don’t know why we chose Christmas in England,” Jean said. “It was freezing but it wasn’t a bad day.” After 71 years together, Frank and Jean often finish each other’s sentences, and Jean doesn’t bat an eye when Frank jokes that the worst thing that ever happened to him was meeting her.
In 1964, alongside their two young children, they made the move to Australia after responding to an advertisement for textile workers. They left Blackburn, England, and settled in Blackburn, Victoria.
“We never had much,” Frank said, “but we made do and we made memories.”
They settled in Hastings twenty years ago and have since cemented their place in the community. Frank was a member of a local bike-riding club until only a few years ago and is a regular at local RSLs, where he has donated his time and effort to create diorama displays in honour of veterans.
“I used to build model cars,” Frank explains, “but they were boring.” He now gets to build his dioramas from scratch, using his imagination and the occasional cut up toy from Kmart. Frank suffered a stroke and admitted it now takes “great difficulty” to build the dioramas, but he continues to persevere, creating his miniature worlds that bring joy to so many.
When he first dropped off his dioramas at FiRST Early Learning, he attempted to escape unnoticed, but centre manager Brittany Samperi tracked him down. Ever since, she has been an unofficial member of the family. “When I said to her ‘Oh, we’ll adopt you.’ You know, I shouldn’t have said that,” Frank joked. “It’s been a beautiful relationship for us at the centre but also myself, I love them. They’re so wonderful, they’re so funny, they have the best stories,” Samperi said.
The Browns have since attended community events, donated to fundraisers, and shared stories with the community at the early learning centre. The children adore Frank and his creations and gifted him a thank you card for his contributions.
One day, Frank and Jean were sitting outside the centre at an Easter function when Frank decided he wanted to create a diorama of the centre itself. It now sits proudly in the entryway, a permanent reminder of Frank and his contributions to FiRST Early Learning. “All the families know who he is because they just think [the dioramas] are the best thing ever,” Samperi said.
As for the future, Frank’s not done yet. With another great-grandchild on the way, more stories to share, and new miniature scenes still forming in his imagination, he continues to make a mark on the Hastings community.
Frank said there was no secret to living a long life, “just luck”, but that his “silly sense of humour” helps. Jean said they never go to bed on an argument. “That’s our philosophy. Whether it’s right or not, I don’t know,” she said. Either way, at FiRST Early Learning Hastings, Frank and Jean Brown will always have a place, not just through Frank’s dioramas, but through every heart they have touched.
First published in the Mornington News – 22 July 2025
