{"id":248295,"date":"2019-11-14T15:18:09","date_gmt":"2019-11-14T05:18:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=248295"},"modified":"2020-07-14T13:14:09","modified_gmt":"2020-07-14T03:14:09","slug":"obituary-henry-hegarty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2019\/11\/14\/obituary-henry-hegarty\/","title":{"rendered":"Obituary: Henry Hegarty"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
FLASHBACK: Henry Hegarty with a picture of the Brisbane rugby league side he was selected for in the 1960s (Photo: Marcus Priaulx)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

November 14, 2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

A funeral service will be held at the Cherbourg Community Hall from 11:00am on Monday (November 18) for well-known local community elder Henry Hegarty.<\/p>\n

Henry, who worked for many years at Cherbourg Council, died at the Ny-Ku Byun Elders Village on November 6.<\/p>\n

Outside Cherbourg, Henry was probably best known for his rugby league career.<\/p>\n

In 2008, during the year of the Centenary of Rugby League, Henry was named as one of the members of Norths Devils\u2019 greatest team ever.<\/p>\n

He played in five of Norths’ premiership-winning teams in the early 1960s.<\/p>\n

His family life also had a Norths’ connection.<\/p>\n

Henry met Lynette Webb through one of her sisters, Daphne, and brother-in-law Les Geeves who also happened to be one of his Devils team mates at the time.<\/p>\n

Henry and Lynette married in December 1962 and lived at Bald Hills and Redcliffe during his football career.<\/p>\n

Off the field, Henry was a proud parent.<\/p>\n

The couple celebrated the arrival of their first daughter, Kim Anne, in June 1963, followed by Renae Lee in September 1966.<\/p>\n

Henry and Lynette had four grandchildren – Jason, Joel, Joshua and Isaac – and seven great-grandchildren, Angus, Kaleb, William, GiGi, Jacob,\u00a0India Rose and Jai.<\/p>\n

In 2015, southburnett.com.au<\/strong> published an interview with Henry by local journalist Marcus Priaulx, who was then working with the Barambah PaCE educational program.<\/p>\n

In it, Henry reflects on his life and his accomplishments.<\/p>\n

We have reproduced it here as a tribute to a sporting legend:<\/strong><\/p>\n

* * *<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Henry, surrounded by teammates, after another Norths’ premiership victory (Photo: supplied)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

by Marcus Priaulx<\/strong><\/p>\n

Henry Hegarty never felt nervous when meeting royalty, the Prime Minister, industry heads or tackling the likes of Artie Beetson on the footy field.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The champion rugby league player from Cherbourg was taught he was as good as anybody by coach Bob Bax.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe always said \u2018When you meet somebody, no matter who they are, look \u2019em in the eye and shake their hand tight\u2019,\u201d Henry said.<\/p>\n

Henry adopted the belief and his kind, gentle nature meant he received support from people throughout is life.<\/p>\n

He was born in the house he now lives in but left Cherbourg for Brisbane in 1960 when encouraged to do so by Mission superintendent Harry Mickel.<\/p>\n

Henry had received eight As and one B on his junior Murgon High School exams and was a good a footballer.<\/p>\n

He was given a letter of introduction to the Valleys football club by a teacher and put on an overnight train to Mayne Junction, Brisbane.<\/p>\n

Henry was 17 years old and excited about his future.<\/p>\n

But when he made a phone call to the Valleys\u2019 coach on arriving he was told \u201cget a train to Wilston, then catch one to Albion and walk from the Albion Fiveways to Newman Oval and we\u2019ll see you at training\u201d.<\/p>\n

Henry had never been outside of Cherbourg or Murgon and thought: \u201cThis bloke\u2019s not interested\u201d as they could have easily picked him up.<\/p>\n

It was a moment that changed his life for the better.<\/p>\n

* * *<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Henry\u2019s cousin Alan Bell worked at the Northgate cannery that stood in the heartland of Norths Rugby League Club.<\/strong><\/p>\n

He picked Henry up and took him to a Norths\u2019 training session.<\/p>\n

\u201cI proved my worth and that was it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Henry was quickly dubbed Huckleberry Hound by teammates due to his HH initials.<\/p>\n

He scored numerous tries as a centre and winger and was chosen for A Grade three years later.<\/p>\n

There he fell under the eye of Bob Bax, who Henry credits with teaching legendary coach Wayne Bennett everything he knew.<\/p>\n

At the time Henry was working in Brisbane as a government clerk.<\/p>\n

Bob knew Henry had to move as players could only play for the district they lived in during the 1960s.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was living in Wilston, in the western suburbs district, and catching a train to work with players from Brothers and Wests,\u201d Henry said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had to move or they\u2019d dob me in.\u201d<\/p>\n

So Bob organised for Henry to live with his mother \u201cMrs Bax\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cI never called her by her Christian name but she was like a mother to me,\u201d Henry said. \u201cI ended up calling her mum and she treated me like her family.\u201d<\/p>\n

* * *<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Henry stayed with Mrs Bax for three years and became a regular A Grader for the Norths Devils \u2013 the team that became Brisbane Rugby League\u2019s most successful side ever.<\/strong><\/p>\n

It won six straight premierships from 1959\u201364 and Henry played in the last five.<\/p>\n

The Devils repeated the feat again in 1966. Henry was a 60kg (nine stone) winger and centre who scored plenty of tries, kicked a few goals and loved to tackle the big men.<\/p>\n

These included Australian representatives Mick Veivers, Peter Gallagher and the first Aborigine to captain any Australian team, Arthur Beetson.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe big blokes were a lot slower and I\u2019d pick them up and throw them on their back,\u201d Henry said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt never hurt them, no spear tackles, but these days you can\u2019t do it. You\u2019d get penalised.\u201d<\/p>\n

Towards the end of Henry\u2019s career he was made Norths captain.<\/p>\n

Beetson had arrived at Redcliffe as \u201ca big, slow raw boned centre from Roma\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey reckoned he had six pies before training,\u201d Henry said. \u201cHe was easy to tackle then. You\u2019d hit him around the ankles. You didn\u2019t go high on the big fellas.\u201d<\/p>\n

* * *<\/strong><\/h2>\n

During the 1960s, Henry married Lyn, had daughters Kym and Renae, kept working in the public service, bought a house, introduced Australia\u2019s 19th prime minister, John Gorton, to his teammates as the Devils\u2019 captain, and was introduced to the Queen of Thailand.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cShe was a good sort,\u201d Henry said with a smile.<\/p>\n

He was also invited to State Parliament House to drink with teammates after grand final wins. Bill Knox \u2013 who later became Deputy Premier \u2013 was the Member for Nundah at the time.<\/p>\n

Cherbourg beckoned in 1990 after Henry\u2019s marriage broke up and he returned to a town that had changed.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost of the restrictions were taken off and people were driving around in cars,\u201d Henry said.<\/p>\n

However, most of his school mates still lived there, as did his brothers Colin and James.<\/p>\n

Henry coached the nearby Wondai A Grade side and a South Burnett team that stunned everybody when it won the Caltex Shield against teams from Maryborough, Sunshine Coast and Gympie.<\/p>\n

He worked as a truck driver for Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire Council and remained employed by the local authority until his 70th birthday.<\/p>\n

* * *<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Looking back, Henry doesn\u2019t believe he would have had such a fulfilling life if he hadn\u2019t received the education he did from Cherbourg primary and Murgon High schools.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you get outside the town it\u2019s a different sort of life,\u201d Henry said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve got to know how to talk to people; none of this looking at the ground. You have to look them in the eye and feel confident in your ability to be as good or better than them.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what education gives you. The first thing I did when I came home was my homework, then I\u2019d go train for football.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was my motto.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy education came first and I had good support from my mum and dad.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Henry Hegarty in full flight while playing for Norths Devils against Redcliffe at Lang Park\u00a0(Photo: supplied)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Henry Hegarty was interviewed by Fox Sports presenter Ben Ikin in 2016 about his rugby league career at the State Library in Brisbane as a part of Black History Month (Photo: supplied)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

[UPDATED]<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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