Terry's life on cruise control

Terry Hegerty may have just turned 80 but he’s not letting that slow him down.

The Dunsborough resident is a well-known figure in the community, dedicating much of his time to various pursuits.

Not only has he volunteered with the Dunsborough Bush Fire Brigade for more than 20 years, he is also a lay minister with St George’s Anglican Church where he plays the organ.

Never one to shun the limelight, Terry has also been a member of the Cape Harmony choir for more than two decades, and has starred in nearly every production of the Wild Capers theatre group.

“If you don’t want to stagnate at my age (it’s important) to keep yourself busy,” the pensioner said.

“Everyone should do as much as they can.”

Born in the working-class suburb of Hackney in east London in 1933, Terry and his wife June emigrated to Australia in 1967.

His work took him to exotic locations such as Cockatoo Island off the coast of Derby, Kununurra and even Antarctica.

“I spent a year on Macquarie Island, halfway between Antarctica and New Zealand, building a power station,” he said.

“It was certainly an eye-opener … I had no idea what I was going to come up against. I got all my front teeth knocked out during the first week at sea (and) I tried gluing them back in but it didn’t work so I’ve had false teeth ever since.”

Terry and June finally landed in Dunsborough in 1993.

After the rollercoaster ride of the previous 25 years, it was hardly a surprise they chose the tranquillity of the South West to retire in.

“I love the scenery here,” he said.

“The coastline is as good as anywhere and I like the wineries and breweries.

“People here seem to be in the same boat … We don’t live in each other’s pockets, but we still have time for a happy wave and to say good morning.”

Come rain or shine, Terry can still be found delivering copies of the Times on his trusty scooter every Friday. Often starting as early as 4am, he then volunteers at the St George’s op shop all afternoon and is showing no signs of quitting.

“I started my life as a paperboy and I’m going to finish my life as a paper boy,” he said with a chuckle.

“I don’t want to slow down, but I don’t want to speed up either — you could say I’m on cruise control. I’ll hang around until I become a pain in the arse, but that won’t be for a while, trust me.”