Finley identity David Edwards, who died on February 12 aged 82, was a big man, in all senses of the word.
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Physically, he was strong as an ox: after schooling at Finley Primary and Finley Intermediate High School, he started work at 14 in the family business, G.A. Edwards Timber and Hardware, and his early years lumping timber and grain schooled him in hard work.
His father George, who set up an accountancy firm in Finley in 1937, had started the hardware business but David and older brother John took it over and, following John’s death in 2000, David continued to run the business until it closed in 2019.
After rice farming took off in the region, David was busy producing sills, posts, drop boards, gates and piles for the farmers and, as the ducks became a serious problem, he was often called upon to round up his mates and help the farmers ward off the birds, particularly after the rice was sown.
It happened that he was an excellent duck shot, having been a keen hunter and fisherman since his childhood outings with George. He was a Life Member of the Finley Gun Club and had won a state championship in clay target shooting at Shepparton in 1965.
He loved his gun dogs and trained them well: perhaps the most famous was his German Short-Haired Pointer, Jezza, which many locals will recall giving voice from the back of David’s ute as he headed out to some rice crop on dusk. Any mates bringing a dog to an outing on the rice or to the annual duck opening camp needed Jezza’s approval first.
If Jezza looked like stepping out of line, David would lay an enormous hand on Jezza’s neck and hoist him a little off the ground to remind him of his manners.
David’s love of the outdoors continued all his life, whether it was on the rivers, creeks and swamps or in the mountains, and his joinery skills made him a handy man around the camp. He would turn out some temporary seating – or some shelter if the weather turned – and it would still be standing years later.
He knew his knots too, and nothing ever broke or fell over. He was made a Life Member of the Finley Pony Club in 1991 in recognition of his tireless work for the club, including building the Cross-Country course along the Tocumwal Road, which he later upgraded for state Pony Club championships in 1993.
David was a devoted family man. He and his wife Janette (Haire) married in 1969; they welcomed Kelli in 1973 and Stuart in 1984 and David spent countless weekends supporting their interests as they grew up – Kelli’s horse riding and Stuart’s clay shooting - as each competed around northern Victoria and Southern New South Wales. Kelli is now the Manager of AgriPark at Charles Sturt Univeristy; Stuart is eCommerce Projects Co-ordinator for the Petstock group.
A shrewd and careful investor, David was a director of Finely Newspapers Pty Ltd, publisher of the Southern Riverina News, for 12 years, along with Doug Wastle and John Hand, and was valued for his sage advice and understanding of local issues and sensitivities.
Despite his imposing height and size, he was a true gentle giant, considerate and generous with a permanent big smile and a fine sense of humour. He had no known enemies: if we were able to unearth one of his report cards from Finley Primary School, it would surely say “Plays well with others.”
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