Traralgon icon Richard Jeffrey has been remembered as a passionate, dedicated and loved man of the town.
Mr Jeffrey died in May after a traffic accident while on his morning walk.
The former Rotarian, historian, Harriers member and businessman spent his life
working for and supporting the Traralgon community.
His family has reflected on his life, his time as a child and young man, and how he went onto become one of Traralgon’s most fierce advocates in the following obituary.
Richard Jeffery was a real Traralgonite.
He was born at Cumnock Hospital in 1935 during an era when new babies were put in the laundry so new mothers could rest and recuperate before taking up the challenges of motherhood.
Richard loved this area; where he was born, grew up and eventually grew old – but not old enough.
He must have inspected every inch of this land, by foot, by bicycle and whilst running. Every day he was out traversing Traralgon in the rain, frost, snow and sunshine – nothing deterred him.
His parents Edna and Gordon Jeffery lived on the south side at first but by 1938 they had the house at 75 Kay Street built and moved in.
It was soon sold to the State Electricity Commission and the family’s new house at 73 Kay Street was finished in 1941. A Miss Campbell sold them these blocks and was worried that they would be too far out of town.
While the new house was being built they rented part of Miss Campbell’s old homestead on the eastern boundary of Kay Street and Loch Park Road.
Behind their home was a great open paddock, encompassing Greenwood Grove with a small dam where Richard used to catch tadpoles.
Until the late 1950s Kay Street was a rough unsealed track, used by drovers bringing livestock to the Kay Street markets, now city offices, a library and hall.
Cattle sometimes would break away and jump the fence into the garden creating havoc. Richard would cross over the saleyards on the way to Grey Street Primary School, sometimes falling from the high fences into the yards. His mother Edna was not amused.
Richard started school in 1940 and left in 1944 before being sent to boarding school at Geelong in 1945.
Back then it seemed like the end of the world, but he adapted, growing to love Geelong College and developing close friendships with fellow boarders.
Leaving school, he applied for and was accepted at the National Bank, then an imposing two storey building with the manager living upstairs.
After a year of junior work, he began to go with the manager, accountant or senior clerk to the receiving offices at Cowwarr and Gormandale.
They travelled to Cowwarr via Rosedale and on the way an old lady would put a sheet over her gateway if she wanted to cash a cheque or pay-in – tea and scones were provided.
Afterwards they would call in to the Volkswagen dealer and the general store before going onto the Rosedale Hotel. The bank manager would leave Richard to conduct business on the hotel bar with customers coming and going while he worked on good relations with his clients.
After lunch in the hotel dining room, they proceeded to Cowwarr via the Rosedale-Heyfield Road.
A small office was about 200 metres from the hotel. Richard would be left to take pay-ins and cash cheques, while the manager attended to ‘public relations’.
After this they would go on to Toongabbie or sometimes back to the pub. Richard was only 17 so he was limited to lemon squash.
At Toongabbie they would pick up pay- ins from two general stores and then head back to Traralgon, sometimes stopping on the way for pistol practice. They had to carry a pistol which jammed after a few shots.
From the local bank Richard went on to become a relieving staff member, travelling all over the state even to Euroa where staff told him that Ned Kelly was responsible for the bullet hole in the wall.
Bank life was interesting but Richard’s father needed him.
In 1932 Gordon Jeffery had taken over his cousin’s business – NF Jeffery & Co – established 1927. The business had been deteriorating but in the first year Gordon began to turn it around.
By the late 1950s Gordon’s health was failing so Richard needed to build up his retail experience. He worked at Rockmans and Treadways, both big retailers in Melbourne before returning to Traralgon allowing his father to retire to Queensland.
Richard was appointed managing director at 24 – a daunting task. With hard work, good staff and the continuing, helpful advice of his father, he managed to succeed.
Retailing was somewhat sedentary work and Richard was a man of action, most happy when exercising. Even as a child he rode his bike as far as Walhalla over what would have been execrable roads.
He took up running the boundary for the Traralgon Football Club and advanced from that to a run of 12 to 20 kilometres every morning before work.
He joined the local Harriers and competed in races, going on to marathons of 42.195 kilometres in 1968. Richard went on to compete in 70 marathons.
Between all this Richard found time to marry Elizabeth and they soon had five children – Jennie, Andrew, Bruce, Meredith and James.
Walking and cycling were not as stressful as running on Richard’s hips and knees, so as well as an hour-and-a-half walk every morning, he took up the bicycle and was a member of the Traralgon and Morwell Peddlers for more than 20 years.
Somewhere he found the time to become a committed member of Rotary which he joined at 24 and has served in a number of community capacities, including at the historical society where his local knowledge was much appreciated.
Richard had a great capacity to decide what should be done and how to do it.
To finish on a quote from one of his writings: “I have been very fortunate in life. Grew up in a happy family environment. Have a lovely family and enjoyed my working days. Was able to do most of the things I wished to in life”.
