Hip, hip hooray Robbie

Birthday boy Robbie McGregor with family on his 77th birthday at the South Eastern Private Hospital with family, from left sister Ailsa and husband Norman Crook and sister Merilyn and husband Paul Sussich.

By Garry Howe

Seven years ago, on the occasion of his 70th birthday, Robbie McGregor was dubbed ‘Mr Pakenham’ by his good mate and third generation local barber Graham Treloar.
That mantle had been held by previously by the much adored Bernard ‘Bunny’ Drake and it was no small gesture by Graham to pass it on. The fact that over 200 people crammed into the former Lions Den Social Club for an open invitation celebration of Robbie’s milestone may have justified that big call.
The crowd was a little more modest at Robbie’s 77th birthday celebration last Thursday, 22 February.
Famous for riding around town on his trusty bike, Robbie has been less mobile of late, pretty much confined to his new quarters at the Millhaven nursing home.
Earlier this month he was admitted to the new St John of God Hosptial in Berwick for hip replacement surgery – and incredibly was awake through the whole procedure! The surgeon’s name was Dr Steele but, given that ordeal, it could be argued it was Robbie who emerged as a ‘Man of Steel’.
Asked how he was coping at one stage during the operation, Robbie simply gave the thumbs up (he also gave a big thumbs up to the new hospital – first class he reckons).
By the time his birthday came around last Thursday, he had been moved to the South Eastern Private Hospital in Noble Park for rehabilitation.
His sisters Merilyn and Ailsa were there with their husbands Paul and Norman. They brought in an ice cream cake topped with Freddo frogs, blew out the candles and sang Happy Birthday.
The girls correctly assumed that – given his high Pakenham profile and reputation – that the occasion may present a photo opportunity for the Gazette.
The approach came through former owner and managing director Ian Thomas and wife Dorothy, who regularly pop in on Robbie to see how he is faring.
Robbie is no stranger to the Gazette. When the office was in Main Street, it was part of his regular round, which also included the fire, police and ambulance stations, the medical clinic in Station Street and, of course, the newsagent (it took him a while to forgive us for moving up to Army Road – ‘too dangerous to ride the bike up there,’ he’d say).
One of Robbie’s great claims to fame is that a few years back he was named Australia’s longest serving paperboy – having delivered papers around Pakenham for 55 years.
He even made the Herald-Sun for that one, in the Black and White column. It was the same edition that had Oprah Winfrey plastered all over the front page and throughout the paper during her much-heralded visit to Melbourne.
“Robbie’s always been the most famous one of our family, “Merilyn said. “I can’t believe that he even shared the limelight with Oprah.”
Robbie used the occasion of his 70th birthday, back in 2011, to announce his retirement from newspaper delivery. He still retained a few more jobs around town that were off the books.
He was the mail delivery man and floor sweeper for years at Treloars Hairdressers, an arrangement that started after a dispute over the price of a haircut, according to Merilyn.
Graham would cut Robbie’s hair at the discount price of $1, in return for a few delivery jobs. It was an arrangement that generally worked well but, although great friends over many years, they did have the occasional dust-up.
This one time Robbie thought he was getting a raw deal from the arrangement, so the next time he was due for a haircut went around the corner to the Colour Me Happy salon. He soon returned to Treloars – $17.50 lighter in the pocket – with cap in hand to ask for his old job back! Sweeping up the hair three times a day was added to the job description.
Over the years, Pakenham has been as good to Robbie as Robbie has been to Pakenham.
He helped David and Gavan Bourke out on their dairy farm and once saved a cow stranded in a drain by alerting them to its plight.
Another time he noticed that a long-standing citizen hadn’t been picking up his papers and alerted authorities, who found the man collapsed on the floor. Had Robbie not been on the ball, he may have died.
Robbie has also been a good leveler for the town, as evidenced by a story told by the late N.N. Webster, a prominent businessman.
Sitting this day in his office – on the corner of Main and John streets – N.N. was contemplating some drama to do with the business when Robbie burst in and said words to the effect of “How bad was that accident killing those four kids”.
N.N. reflected upon the fact that he had four kids – and suddenly his business problem was not that big after all.
Robbie expects to be out of South Eastern Private and back at Millhaven in a week or two – back on his home turf. He is not as mobile as he used to be but people still pop in to see how he’s going.
Graham Treloar probably best summed up the relationship between Robbie and his town at that 70th birthday bash seven years ago.
“Pakenham is such a wonderful place because of the love Robbie expressed to us and to his community – and the love that is expressed in return.”
Happy 77th birthday Robbie McGregor.