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Island Identities Contents Page Ferry KOALAS LANDCARE R I C A SHIRE
*Eulogy
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Ken Trenery An Islander with a wicked sense of humor
Ken lived on our Island for about 15 years. After he sold his Motel in Lakes Entrance a friend of his, Frank Taylor from the Island got in touch with Ken and offered him a house Frank’s aunt had lived in. Ken and his family liked the idea and decided to make the Island their home As Kim, his daughter, remembers “ Ken became a gentleman of leisure “ .. as an afterthought she added :” He also became the Island's stirrer. Over the years many Islanders have contributed to the numerous issues which aroused their emotions. All of them deserve to be mentioned and as time goes by they probably will be.
But this is Ken’s story.
Not every Islander once gone “leaves a mark “ but Ken did.
According to friends he was like a terrier and once he got involved in an issue he just would not let up. Ken ( and others ) was inflamed that Islanders were charged a Ferry toll. Ken made it a personal objective to get the toll removed. He got hold of the public servant who held a senior job being in charge of some aspects of the Road regulations/laws. As Kim remembers : “ Colin something . Oh. I really felt for him. Dad would have rang him at least once a week for over 12 months pestering him over the issue that the Ferry was or should be classified as a road and therefore it was illegal to charge a toll . When Dad died this Colin must have said: Hallelujah. He didn’t come to the funeral, but must have been there in spirit. Dad probably drove the man to early retirement “ Ken was also one of the people who formed the anti bridge group R I P ( Raymond Island Protection ) Denise Turner was the secretary at one stage. As Kim remembers when living in Fourth Ave, Ken together with Peter Manuel, David Mothersole and Jodie Lynch formed Landcare.
If something needed stirring Ken would be your man !
Another of Ken and Peter M’s project was to get the part of the Island’s bushland declared Crown land. To stop developers in their tracks.
Kim always felt sorry for the “ victims’ “ on the receiving end.
There are some great stories about Ken and the one about the “ broken wrist “ has to be told. Ken was in the navy and some 4 years before Ken lost his right arm in a car accident, he broke his right wrist whilst on duty. Resulting from that break was a $1.75 monthly pension. So once the arms was gone the broken wrist was gone with it. Not as far as Ken was concerned He kept getting his $1.75 a month for his broken wrist “ ..because no one can prove that the wrist has healed ….” Another claim to fame was, if he saw a children biting their finger nails he’d walk up them show them the empty armless sleeve and say something like : “ That’s how it started with me, first biting my finger nails then the arm . You better stop while you still have your arm “
At Ken’s funeral Kim wrote and read the eulogy. It is reproduced here . Denise Turner a great friend of the family, at the time said; “ it was the funniest funeral I have ever attended.
Ken Trenery .An Islander with a
wicked
Click here
Eulogy Click here
Letter to Shire re Ken‘s part in obtaining increased funding for local roads Click here
A
reflection by Ken’s daughter Kym of his |
