HANSARD EXTRACT
| Statements
by Members: Mr Arthur Foster |
| 10 May 2006 |
Mr HAYES
(Werriwa)
(9.57
a.m.)—Recently
I had the opportunity to attend the funeral of a very special
resident of Ingleburn. The passing of any community member generally
involves much sadness for family and friends as they come together
to celebrate a life, but this funeral marked the passing of a very
special man, Arthur Foster, a much loved and long-term resident of
Ingleburn.
Arthur
was also the oldest resident of the area, as he died aged 105. Yes,
that is right: Arthur’s date of birth coincided with the birth of
our nation—a nation that at that stage comprised 3.7 million people,
a young nation of hope and promise.
Arthur William Foster was born on
17 January 1901
in the country town of
Hay. He was the youngest of a family of 13 children. At the age of
two, his mother died and he was brought up by his father and his
older sisters. Arthur’s family moved to Gundagai in his early years
and that is where he learnt his trade of being a mechanic. It was
here that he met a young lady from Mount Pleasant called Lila Neve,
who was his wife for almost sixty years. They were married in
Gundagai, where they settled down and started to raise a family of
eight children—five girls and three boys. Later they moved to the
small town of Coolac, where they spent the next few years.
Arthur
had a trucking business and also a motor car, truck and farm
machinery garage in Gundagai and Coolac. Because of his mechanical
engineering abilities, he was well known in the district as ‘Doc
Foster’.
They moved to Ingleburn around 1946. They built the family home in
Carlisle Street and it was here that they spent the rest of their
married life together.
Arthur worked as a mechanic at Dairy Farmers and at Burt Watson’s
garage in Ingleburn. Later he decided to start his own business and
opened Foster’s Ampol Service Station, where he worked tirelessly
until he retired in his late seventies.
Arthur
was a very strong and disciplined man who had great respect for
others. The love and respect that both
Lila
and
Arthur shared served as a beacon to their family.
Arthur’s
quiet manner hid a very quick wit and a keen sense of humour. He was
a kind and caring man and well known throughout his local community.
Those who knew him will never forget
Arthur’s
sayings: ‘You’ll be right,’ no matter how painful and difficult the
odds were, and, ‘Can I give you a hand?’—and that was even when he
was aged 100-plus.
Arthur
certainly loved his sport. In his younger days he was a very keen
tennis and cricket player—I understand he was a good left-hand
bowler—and he never lost his love for fishing. In the last two of
his 105 years he was lovingly cared for by the staff of Camden House
nursing home. Arthur had seen off 10 members for Werriwa, two world
wars and a century of Australia. What an innings! What an
inspiration! May he rest in peace. (Time expired)
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