WHEN a distraught Peter Brocklehurst walked into The Standard offices last month he had hit rock bottom.
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The former opera singing sensation had just split up with his partner of four years and was contemplating suicide.
He staggered into the office with a distinct limp, his right leg injured as the result of an attempt to take his own life the night before.
His hair was bedraggled, his face unshaven and the smell of booze was strong after he had drank four large bottles of port.
As we sat down to talk he was clearly agitated.
Brocklehurst spoke about how he wanted to die, that his girlfriend had left him and that he had lost his job. Through bloodshot eyes he told how his life had fallen apart - again.
He wanted to have a written farewell to his family, friends and fans published in The Standard.
The singer indicated he would attempt to take his life again and that police were in pursuit, keen to locate him before he harmed himself.
After the interview, The Standard contacted police who later located Brocklehurst trying to drown himself along the coast.
They pulled him out of the water and he later received medical attention.
When asked on that day how he was, the response, "not good", was an understatement.
"It was the lowest I had ever felt," the 50-year-old told The Standard this week.
"It was a very sad separation. I really loved her, but the isolation of the country got to her and she wanted to be back in the city.
"My only source of employment was gone as a result. It was a two-person operation and I couldn't do it without her.
"I hold no malice against her .
"I was a bastard to live with and she was so, so tolerant.
"But thankfully, I had my family, my three beautiful daughters, to pull me through.
"I wouldn't be here today if no one stepped in to help me out."
It was a much happier Brocklehurst who returned to The Standard offices this week.
He approached the paper with a request to allay widespread concern over his wellbeing and to let the public know that he will retire from the stage indefinitely. He also wanted to relay his sympathy for fellow depression sufferers and warn them about getting to the stage of desperation he felt that day.
The Standard did not approach Brocklehurst for either of the two interviews and he spoke voluntarily.
"I was under a lot of stress. I had four bottles of port in my system and had taken a hell of a lot of anti-depressants," he said.
"Alcohol has been something that has plagued me. That day all of life's problems came to a head and the mixture of that and the drink sent me over the edge.
"I've spoken about my depression before, to groups of people going through the same thing, and it's healthier to get it out in the open.
"I have lost four friends to suicide and for me to get so close, well, I just want to tell others that even when you get to those depths, there is hope."
The story of Brocklehurst's life is a bittersweet tale that combined dizzying heights and tragic depths.
One of eight children, his family immigrated to Australia in the early 1960s in search of a better life but his formative years were marred by two assaults as a teenager and a horrific abduction at age seven.
The Brocklehurst family settled in Warrnambool in 1979 and the curly-haired singer gained attention on the local music scene during his younger years performing in south-west rock bands such as Limited Edition, Working Class Hero and Skyline.
An interest in classical music stemmed from his father giving him a recording of American tenor Mario Lanza as a child but he was ridiculed by his peers for his love of opera.
It was when an ex-girlfriend encouraged him to ditch belting out throat-scouring rock in favour of singing classically that Brocklehurst really hit his straps.
His incredible voice was discovered by chance and he was thrown into the limelight, appearing on top-rating television programs, singing at major events and releasing two number-one records.
But most of the dollars generated by the musical phenomenon were sucked up by the record companies and accountants, leaving the superstar close to destitute in recent years.
Brocklehurst still has plans to return to the microphone.
In the meantime, he has opened up a shoe repair business, The Singing Cobbler, on Timor Street.
Although he gained fame through classical music and has a great admiration for the work of classical composers, rock 'n' roll is where his heart still lies.
He is collaborating with John Farnham's former drummer Peter Hocking to establish a tribute band which will tour around the district.
Brocklehurst has welcomed suggestions from the public about what his new band should be called.
"I don't know when I'll return to singing," he said.
"Music is my love. The feeling of getting up on stage makes you feel so alive.
"I've been thinking about starting up another rock band and touring around, playing covers at country pubs around the district, but I have to get my life back together.
"It's going to take time, I'm not going to lie, a lot of time. But I'm going to try."
