HERB and Laura Kennedy were the children of Alice Niven and Clem Kennedy.
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The family resided at Rosehill, Rosemeath, and Herb and Laura attended the local school.
In their younger years they would ride push bikes to the Olympia Theatre and played tennis at the Parsonage.
After leaving the Rosemeath school, Herb and Laura took up farm and domestic duties.
Laura was a very good knitter and made a living knitting jumpers and repairing clothes.
Herb concentrated on farm duties and quickly got rid of cattle as he believed they damaged too many fences.
He developed a large flock of heavy cutting Merino sheep based on Inglewood blood.
Over the years Herb and Laura acquired many parcels of land in the district including Bucky Springs, Dundundra, Yandilla, Killarney, Wiles, Rosemeath and Laughton.
After his farm duties, Herb’s main interest and passion was shooting.
He began this by waging a war against rabbits.
He was a founding member of the Bombala Clay Target Club before it went into recess, and then, once again, was one of the first to support the reopening of the club in 1967.
Herb was a very good shot and took home many trophies.
He also competed at neighbouring clubs at Berridale and Bega.
Although travelling from home was not on his agenda, he was persuaded to travel with other shooters, to compete for the Ampol and Hudson Shields at Cowra and other gun clubs.
Our Bombala Gun Club team was successful on many occasions.
Herb also travelled to Melbourne and was successful in making the national team.
One memorable occasion for Herb was a trip to Hay with Don Badewitz and Kelly Morgan to help out a friend with vermin on his farm.
On the way he was very impressed with a display of old farm machinery and cars they were able to visit – and he had his first taste of a chocolate heart; he had never had one before.
Herb did not just shoot, he was a strong supporter of the club.
He was president for a number of years and instigated and funded a trophy to support younger members, and he never missed a working bee.
He was also a very generous supplier of meat when there were big events and had many visiting shooters.
Herb was made a life member of the club, and was one of only two remaining foundation members when the club closed.
Laura was also a keen supporter of the Bombala Gun Club and looked forward to the shoots and assist using her cooking skills.
She was a tireless worker for the Bombala Exhibition Society being active in the kitchen, a steward for needlework and ultimately become a Life Member of the Society.
Laura regularly cooked puddings for the annual show and it is rumoured that the kitchen helpers always left serving Laura’s pudding to the last, in the hope they would get the leftovers.
Laura was a member of the View Club and enjoyed going to the Delegate Dinners Club.
Herb and Laura were long time members of the Bush Fire Brigade.
They were also heavily involved in wild dog control due to the damage they inflicted, even today.
The butchering of animals for baits regularly occurred at Yandilla usually in the middle of winter when the baits would last longer.
Laura would turn up with baskets of warm food, freshly made sandwiches and cakes.
The frozen fingers of the butchers would soon melt with Laura’s legendary cooking.
During one of the aerial baiting sessions, Herb had a lucky escape.
He had been throwing out baits in the back of the Cessna and not strapped in, when, on the final approach, the plane ran out of fuel.
Herb sustained a broken nose in the heavy landing and this gave him another good yarn to tell.
Herb and Laura were perfectionists in what they did and embraced technology such as electric wool presses, fertiliser regimes, all-wheel-drive bikes etc before many of their contemporaries.
Herb was particularly proud on his achievements but was never one to boast.
He remarked quietly many years ago to a colleague, “it’s a pity about the price of wool, my clip won’t even pay for my tax bill this year.” What a problem.
Herb and Laura enjoyed a simply and happy life which was complete with all the modcons.
Laura had a fully automatic washing machine but still insisted on using the old ringer.
In Laura’s final week in hospital she remarked that she like lollies especially jubes.
Janet was most amused when Laura said “I only want a small packet”.
This attitude to life and there business skills allowed Herb and Laura to become extremely wealthy.
In their passing we thank the doctors, nurses and staff of the Bombala Hospital for their kind and loving care.
Last of a family generation, true friends and family to all, we honour Herb and Laura for their contribution to the community and the legacy they have provided.