Last weekend was quite a meaningful one for some very significant people in Penrith.
It was a weekend of celebration, a weekend of achievement, and a weekend tinged with some sadness.
I’ll start with the celebration, and last Saturday night the who’s who of Penrith (and me, for some reason) celebrated Penrith Mayor Greg Davies’ 60th birthday.
It was a special night, made even better by the fact that his partner Kerrie managed to pull off the ultimate surprise – somehow, one of the country’s most talkative cities managed to keep the party a secret from the Mayor.
His face when he arrived for what he thought was a quiet night with friends was priceless.
Described as the “Cliff Richard of politics” at one point, tributes flowed about Greg’s contribution to this city over a long period of time – and they flowed from both sides of politics, which is perhaps the most telling sign of his commitment to seeing Penrith advance no matter what.
As one tribute said: “He keeps it real. What you see is what you get”.
Mayors come and go, and some have a bigger impact on the city than others.
Someone like John Bateman will forever be remembered as an Olympic Mayor, and as someone who took this city forward exceptionally strongly.
Many others have also reached such heights, and I think many would agree that Greg Davies is one of them.
Well done to all who came out to celebrate last Saturday night – you were part of a fitting tribute to somebody who will continue to be part of the fabric of Penrith for a long time.
Moving onto the ‘achievement’ side of the weekend (not that reaching 60 isn’t a mighty achievement in itself) and what about the efforts of Penrith boy Pat Cummins in the Test over in South Africa?
To wake up on Monday morning and hear that the 18-year-old had taken 6 for 79 would have made everyone in Penrith proud – cricket tragic or not.
It makes Cummins the youngest Australian to take six wickets in an international innings.
It has taken cricket a long time to recover from the end of the golden era that featured names like Waugh, Warne, Gilchrist and McGrath.
But in Pat Cummins, we have the start of something very special – another era of brilliance, perhaps.
And how good is it that he’s from our backyard?
He cut his teeth in this region, and we will proudly claim him as our own for the rest of what is shaping up to be a sensational career.
We’ll never forget the day a Penrith lad graduated from potential star to Aussie hero on the pitches of South Africa in 2011. Here’s to Pat.
And now to the sadness of the weekend, with the passing of Panthers pioneer Merv Cartwright.
Not for a second will I pretend I knew the man, but as a Panthers supporter, I certainly know how important he was to this region.
Merv was a leader back in 1967 when Penrith was finally included in the top flight rugby league competition and most will tell you that if it wasn’t for Merv, the Panthers wouldn’t have been admitted.
Given how much the Panthers brand means to Penrith, you could credit Merv for kicking off the modern-day Penrith we see today – proudly part of metropolitan Sydney and continuing to grow.
It is no surprise that a quick look at the index of what I like to call my “bible” – the Panthers: Men in Black book – sees Merv mentioned on no less than 18 pages.
The book says: “The war years were important to Penrith football for another vital reason. It was during this period that Merv Cartwright, who would later lead Penrith’s charge into front line rugby league, emerged. He took an instant liking to the game”.
Cartwright remains one of the most respected figures in the history of the Penrith club. Whilst his passing means he is now free of pain and is playing on the big field in the sky, it is no less sad for the people of Penrith and the Panthers club, who have lost one of their greats.
We like to pay tribute to our modern day stars, but perhaps the ultimate tribute of naming a grandstand after the great Merv Cartwright at Penrith Stadium is well deserved.
