Echuca’s Bill Hourigan celebrates 97th birthday

Mr Lofthouse said Bill had lived in Echuca and surrounds since 1975, and raced many times in the Southern 80 with three-ply boats, skiing slalom, before he moved.

He is a former transport driver from Melbourne, and worked at Coles Echuca when the store opened as the dairy case manager for 25 years.

Once retired, Bill spent countless days mowing lawns and slashing blocks, which Mr Lofthouse joked was an early version of Jim’s Mowing.

He was also an enthusiastic shooter at the Echuca Pistol Club, and played lawn bowls when he found the time after retiring.

Bill is still keen on maintaining his own lawn at his home in Bamawm with a ride-on mower, where he still lives with Thelma.

According to Mr Lofthouse, Bill has a talent for finding ways to fix and make things work for himself and his numerous friends, with his slogan being: ‘Who can — Bill can’.

Mr Lofthouse wished Bill a very happy 97th birthday.