Cloncurry and North West Queensland said farewell to one of its finest on Tuesday.
The Shire Hall was packed with mourners for the funeral of Bob McDonald OAM who died last Monday, aged 70.
Bob McDonald ran the pastoral business MDH with his brother Don and was a Cloncurry Shire councillor for 40 years before retiring in 2016.
His wife Susan was consoled by all five of their children Marjorie, Katie, Alistair, Adelaide and Eleanor and three of them paid tribute to their father in speeches that had laughter and tears flowing in equal measure.
Marjorie said her father was renowned for his irreverent sense of humour, his colourful use of language, the nicknames he gave everyone and his love of learning but he also liked the simple things like a fishing trip in the Gulf catching mudcrabs.
“Us five children adored and revered our dad in equal measure,” Marjorie said.
She listed the things he hated which included plastic items from Mount Isa’s K-Mart, Land Rovers which broke down, cockatoos and gum trees, AFL and “useless mongrel cats”.
But there were also the things he loved: beautiful music, good literature, his home and garden, craftwork, fixing things, and most of all, Marjorie said, her father loved nothing as much as spending time with his family at Brightview Station.
“He loved children and adored his 10 grandchildren,” she said.
Bob’s brother Don McDonald also spoke in praise of “our brother for 70 years and my business partner for 50 years”.
“We worked together to build a pastoral company with our parents Jim and Marge McDonald and then with our wives Susan and Christine we commenced MDH,” Don said.
“Subsequently we were joined by Zanda (Don’s son who tragically died in 2013) and Alistair (Bob’s son) to build the business to what it is today.
“I’ll miss you, Bob”.
Fr Bill Busuttin, who conducted the service with Frs Mick Lowock and Cole Reinhardt, said Bob was not religious but was deeply spiritual.
An honour guard of Cloncurry Shire council staff farewell the funeral for private family burial at the cemetery.