Young lost a local legend on Monday with the passing of Les Murray aged 104.
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In 2016 the Young Witness had the privilege of covering Mr Murray's 100th birthday, meeting with him and his family at the Southern Cross Care Retirement Village where all kinds of stories were told by Mr Murray and his children showcasing his larrikin personality and the many amazing adventure from his school years, shearing across the state and country, how he met his wife and having his family as he made it to 100 years.
On Monday afternoon his family in Townsville contacted the Witness to tell of his passing.
Mr Murray was the much loved husband of Jean (deceased), devoted father and father in-law to Bill and Maureen, Margaret and Trevor Ingram, Elizabeth and Bill Boyle, Helen and Terry Waugh, John and Peter (deceased). He was a cherished grand and great grandfather and has been survived by his loving brothers Bill Murray of Young and David Murray of Sydney.
Due to the current COVID-19 restrictions in place not only in NSW but across the country, a number of Mr Murray's children and grandchildren were not able to be with him in his final days due to borders being closed and quarantine requirements.
The staff at the Southern Cross Care Retirement Village held a guard of honour for Mr Murray as he left his final home having touched so many lives of carers and employees at the facility over the years.
Mr Murray was born in Young and grew up in the Tubbul area where he attended Wedallion School before moving to Sydney to stay with his Grandmother Nash to continue his primary education.
Mr Murray went on to attend Hurstville Tech for a short period before he then moved back to Young to work on his Father's property.
In 1935 Mr Murray turned 18 and first started what became his life's work - shearing. In 1935 Mr Murray would shear about 100 sheep a day for one pound seven shillings and threepence.
Eventually, Mr Murray worked as a shearer in Queensland, outback NSW including Bourke, Young, Ilabo, Hall and Rugby.
His best tally using the narrow combs was shearing 211 sheep in one day and still to this day there is a plaque at the shearer's hall of fame in Hay with his name on it.
Mr Murray married his wife, Jean when he was 24. The pair both drove into town and decided that they were going to get married. After a simple service with only two witnesses, they enjoyed a meal at Mr Mitchies and then went and watched Tom Micks and the Blazing guns.
Mr Murray said that conditions for shearing were not the best and he remembers sleeping on a straw mattress with mice running over him at night during his time working all over the country in sheds.
In 1948 Mr Murray became a shearing contractor and worked for a number of years around Young and Hay. Togamaine station in Hay was his biggest shed with 55 men in a 25 stand shed.
Following his retirement from contract shearing, Mr Murray worked for a number of years at Weeroona Pastoral Co for Mr Horton Brown.
Mr Murray had been in Southern Cross Retirement Village since he turned 95 and had thoroughly enjoyed his time there as he hadn't had a holiday in the entirety of his life.