Hugh Hendry celebrated, with hundredth Birthday just around the corner

“HE’S an extraordinary man,” Hugh Hendry’s son Keith said before those at Korumburra RSL on Tuesday heard from Hugh himself, captivated by the stories he shared as he nears his hundredth Birthday.

Locals were joined by Member for Monash Mary Aldred, and Shadow Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Michael McCormack, the latter remarking that Hugh’s speech was so engaging nobody looked away to check their phones.

While born in Tongala in Victoria’s North and then living in Ascot Vale and Moonee Ponds, Hugh has strong family connections to South Gippsland and moved to Bena with his wife and four of their eventual six children 75 years ago.

The WWII veteran was delighted to receive a special gift from Cheryl Billing Smith of Quilts of Valour, who presented him with a stunning quilt, its military themes reminding him of his time in the Air Force and his father’s sacrifices in WWI.

“It’s a high honour and I’ll treasure that,” Hugh said.

During his time in the Air Force, hearing the average lifespan of a tail gunner was two and a half minutes in a combat situation, Hugh switched his focus to learning to become an airframe mechanic.

With the war nearing its end, the then teenager, who had begun working life aged just 10, ended up becoming a military cook.

“Before I went in, I couldn’t boil water and after that I could,” he quipped, remarking that he liked to try different things, sometimes successfully and other days prompting remarks such as “not your best recipe, cookie”.

It was through the military that he trained as a butcher, a career he pursued for 30 or 40 years, his son Tad telling Sentinel-Times his dad was once fined for putting too much meat in his sausages.

While his formal education only extended to Grade 4, Hugh proved adaptable and enterprising.

When the price he could get for Tallow dropped, he took the approach of value adding, as it would now be described, going into making soap, a lady telling him, “Since I have been using your soap my hands have never been better.”

 Hugh also worked as a builder’s assistant and carpenter.

Not normally a gambler, he recalled a couple of lucky punts on horses owned by people he knew, the winnings enabling the purchase of a boat, the side of which was ironically damaged by an enraged family horse.

A fibreglass replacement and a growing Hendry family passion for waterskiing followed, with Hugh’s competitive streak coming to the fore when he outsmarted the boastful owner of a more powerful boat, putting him in his place and sending him packing.

Another of Hugh’s many pursuits was serving the community as a councillor.

“I enjoyed my time on council and the debate; I didn’t like offending people and that was my biggest mistake,” he said, saying that sometimes meant losing an argument.

“It’s important to win the argument but it’s more important to be respected,” Mr McCormack remarked afterwards.

Hugh clearly commands respect, and his ability to make a stand for what he sees as important only adds to that.

“You’ve got some views on things council is doing but I absolutely respect that because it comes from a place of experience and of genuine care to see the best for South Gippsland and the people here,” current Mayor Nathan Hersey said, praising Hugh’s service to the community.

That sentiment regarding Hugh’s vast contribution was shared by Ms Aldred and Mr McCormack.

“You’re as Gippsland as they come, you worked fulltime from the age of 10, you had three butchers shops all at the same time, you’re one of our last surviving WWII veterans,” Ms Aldred told Hugh, also commenting on his great sense of humour.

Mr McCormack spoke of being awed to be in Hugh’s presence.

“From would-be tail gunner to medicinal soap maker to butcher to big time punter, you’ve done it all in a lifetime of devoting yourself to the local community,” he said.

While Hugh was the centre of attention, he wasn’t the oldest in the room, with 101-year-old Avis Tilley present.

She no doubt looks forward to welcoming him to the centenarian’s club when he celebrates his Boxing Day milestone at the Korumburra Showgrounds.