Former Eden Rotarian Sid Donaldson, pictured with the late Timothy Moorhouse’s daughters Rachel Grieg and Lynley Holmwood, and their mother Joy, with Eden’s Jan Aveyard at the Shiralee Memorial Wall.
His dream was to set up a new life for his young family in Eden, but New Zealand fisherman Timothy Moorhouse’s dream was cut short.
He had been in Australia for only two months when somewhere between Eden and Greencape, the fishing trawler “Annteak” ran into heavy weather and sank on July 9, 1983.
Timothy, who was just 42 years of age, along with two other family members, William Muir and William Richie Muir, drowned at sea.
Like others lost at sea whose bodies were never recovered, Timothy is remembered in a plaque on the Shiralee Memorial Wall in Eden.
Timothy left behind his wife Joy and two young daughters, Rachel and Lynley.
For years after the tragedy, it nagged at Joy and her daughters that Timothy’s surname, Moorhouse, had been spelled incorrectly on that plaque so many miles away across the Tasman.
Over the years, the family tried several times to have this error corrected, with no success.
In 2008, Rachel made contact with Eden resident Jan Aveyard who took up the challenge.
Finally, 26 years after the sinking, the mistake was rectified with the help of Eden Rotary Club members and Bega Valley Shire Council.
On Friday, February 30, 2009, the incorrect plaque was removed and the corrected one placed on the wall.
But that’s not quite the end of the story.
On the last weekend in September this year, Joy, Rachel and Lynley visited Eden to see their husband and father’s name on the Shiralee Wall.
They were finally able to meet two of the people who helped them in their fight through layers of red tape to correct Timothy’s memorial.
The girls and their mother spent the weekend in Eden, meeting Jan and former Rotarian Sid Donaldson on the Sunday.
“There were lots of hugs, thanks, some tears, and laughter,” Jan said.
The family presented Jan with a copper and semi-precious stone model of a firefly, made by Joy, for her efforts on their behalf.
Of the three family members lost in the tragedy, only the body of William Muir was recovered, and he is remembered by a plaque on a rock placed near to the wall.
