He was born in the hamlet of Mt Fairy near Tarago in 1925 and came to Goulburn as a small boy with his eight siblings.

“I’m one of nine - there were six boys and three girls in our family,” Jockey said.

“Us boys were all into the boxing game, and we looked after all the licensed fights that were held at the old Broadway Theatre (now Barbecues Galore).”

At the age of 14 in 1940 he went to see if he could train with Sydney boxing trainer Ern McQuillan at his gymnasium in King St, Newtown.

But the home comforts of Goulburn drew him back pretty quickly.

“I only stayed with Ern for about six months before coming back here to Goulburn,” he said.

“The bright lights and appeal of the big city was just too much for me at that age.”

Also in 1940 he started as a delivery boy at Murray’s Butchers in Auburn St.

“I worked in the butcher’s shop all my life and it was the only job I ever had,” Jockey said.

“In those days there was no such thing as a morning tea or lunch break. You would work all through the day, often starting at 6am every day.”

It was the fitness training from boxing and regular communication with the public that Jockey felt were the secrets to his longevity.

“I still get up early every morning, and I have an exercise bike which I get on at 3:30pm each day and pedal away for about 10-15 minutes,” he said.

“And I still try and get out to the nursing homes and Goulburn Base Hospital and give someone a copy of the Goulburn Post or just sit and chat with those who often don’t get the opportunity to talk to someone otherwise. Communication with the public is something I believe to be vitally important.”

His passion for boxing saw him own six gymnasiums throughout Goulburn. He also had a love of horse racing and raced greyhounds, with several wins over the years.

His wife Phyllis ran her own fashion shop, (Phyllis Fashions, now Galaxy Fashions in Auburn St), and he was often kept busy helping her out with that too.

“Even when Phyllis had the shop, I used to help her out with all the cooking and ordering,” he said.

“The rose garden at the entrance to town is a fitting tribute to her. We were married for 60 years. We met when I was 19 and she was fifteen.”

You’ll also often see Jockey sitting in Goulburn Plaza watching the world go by and then see someone he knows, who will stop and have a chat before going on their way.

“Goulburn’s certainly grown in leaps and bounds and I sit there in the mall and can’t believe how busy it is,” he said.

“You sort of think where have all these people come from?”

He also gets out to the Goulburn Racecourse and helps out with ticket sales and mingles with racegoers.

He thanked several of his close friends for all their assistance to him over the years.

“I just want to thank Chris Grant, Ev Boswell and Sue Townsend, who all call me up on the phone every day to see how I’m going,” he said.

“They look after me well, to be honest.”

Jockey still lives in the family home of over 60 years, ‘Auburn Villa’ in northern Auburn St.

“It actually cost us more to paint the place than it did to buy it. We bought it for 2,000 pounds and the painting cost us $3,500!” he said.

A birthday party for Jockey will be held on October 11 at the Goulburn Golf Club. If you would like to come, RSVP by Monday, October 5 to Chris Grant on 4821 9711 and leave a message.