Centenary of Anzac is the theme of next year’s event and Oracles will celebrate the Centenary with a “Country Service” theme.  

Whilst we immediately connect the word Anzac with serving our country in a military capacity, the life of Oracles legend, Perry Condrick, embraces a broader meaning of country service to also include passionate commitment of service to family, his home town, the land, and extensive service to the community.

Born in March, 1945 Perry attended the Leech’s Gully School.  After the school was closed he travelled to Tenterfield with other children from the surrounding properties on the back of a Ute to attend school in Tenterfield. 

At the age of 14 he left school and worked on the neighbouring Leech farm where he picked fruit and shovelled corn.

“Corn shovelling was the worst job I ever had,” Perry said.  

He soon obtained employment at Ropers Motors as a bowser boy for about 12 months followed by a 6 month stint at the local meatworks.  

Perry had a passion for mechanics and after visiting Jack Hay at Hays Garage every afternoon for about a year Jack and his partner Max Rhodes finally formalised an apprenticeship for him in 1961. 

He travelled to Sydney regularly on the steam train for practical sessions. Perry says Max Rhodes was a man of high principles and he taught Perry a great deal about business ethics.

In 1965 Perry was called up for National Service.   As he was an apprentice at the time he deferred until October, 1967. 

In the meantime Perry had become engaged to local girl, Barbara Bates.  With the National Service call up looming they decided to bring their wedding forward to Barbara’s birthday in September 1967. 

They were only married a few days when the official papers turned up and Perry, together with two other local men was sent to Singleton as part of the 10th intake.  

Perry’s passion for motors served him well in the Army and he was enlisted into the Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. 

In July 1968 Perry was sent to Vietnam where he was based in Nui Dat.  For the next 366 days his Corp camped in 4 man tents in a humid rubber plantation repairing and maintaining vehicles and machinery by day and conducting ambush and observation patrols by night. 

“You cannot imagine how black the nights there were, absolutely no stars just black,” Perry said.   

“So many things about those 366 days remain in the memory bank but the standout is the amazing friendships made under those conditions. More often than not your life depended on the person beside you and the bonds made will last forever”.  

Every two years Perry and Barbara attend the 10th intake re-union in Sawtell where those bonds grow stronger.

On his return to Tenterfield he resumed employment at Hays Garage, this time working as a machinery salesman until 1972.  

During this period Perry and Barbara welcomed daughter Deanne to their family in 1971. 

Perry had commenced work at the RTA but after 3 months accepted a position with the Tenterfield Municipal Council Electricity Department as a diesel mechanic. Following amalgamation with the Tenterfield Shire Council he was transferred to the Council workshop.  Due to ill health Perry retired 28 years later in the position of Plant Superintendant.

His first employer Jack Hay was heavily involved in the scout movement and encouraged Perry to join Tenterfield Rover Scouts.  Perry says this involvement whet his appetite for community service.  

From Rovers he moved onto the Apex Club and served in Apex for 19 years, retiring in 1985.  On retirement his service was recognised by the Club with life membership.

From 1987 to 1996 he was a member of the Tenterfield PAM hospital board with two years as Chairman of the Finance Committee. 

Whilst his children were at school Perry was President on the P & C Associations of both primary and secondary schools.  He was also President of the Junior Soccer and on the executive of the Blue Light Disco committee.

Perry is a member of the local RSL holding the Secretary position for about 5 years and has been treasurer for longer than he cares to remember.  

He is also currently a member of the Anzac committee.

Although Perry could have been regarded as a ‘townie’ for many years his love of the land and involvement with farming and grazing was a constant and time was always set aside for this love.

In 1979 their son, Tim was born and in 1998 they moved from town back to the family property, “Deetswood”.

In 1996 he invested in viticulture by initially planting four acres of wine grapes and becoming part of a bourgeoning wine industry in the Tenterfield region and thus Deetswood Wines was born. 

The original plan was to grow and on-sell the grapes, but plans, like budgets, are made to be broken. The vineyard soon began to make their own wine and produced up to 30,000 bottles of wine in a good season. 

The winery has always been a family affair with daughter Deanne studying and becoming a winemaker and son Tim, a graphic artist, taking care of the labelling and marketing.  

In 2000, due to ill health, the reins of the property were handed over to Deanne and Tim but Perry maintains a keen interest in farming and viticulture, providing a little “slave labour” when needed. 

The family made the hard decision to retire from the industry and conducted their last bottling on September of this year. 

Perry’s involvement in the wine industry increased his passion for tourism and his belief that cellar doors and a wine industry would be another tourism feather in Tenterfield’s cap.   

He has worked towards this by being an active member of the Tenterfield and District Visitors Association for 15 years and recently serving as a committee member for 2 years.

As his working life is winding down Perry plans to jump in the motor home and take Barbara travelling and find more time to enjoy his hobbies. 

In his unassuming manner Perry’s closing quote sums up his genuine down to earth character. 

“I don’t think I personally have achieved much but by working with others I believe we have made a difference”