Gympie mourns death of racing stalwart, caller and writer Barry Fitzhenry

Gympie’s racing industry is in mourning following the sudden death of icon Barry Fitzhenry, who for more than 50 years served as the city’s race caller and regular writer for The Gympie Times

Gympie’s racing community is mourning the loss of an industry icon following the death of long-time race caller and sportswriter Barry Fitzhenry.

Mr Fitzhenry was the voice of Gympie’s racing scene, with his Turf Topics articles a weekly feature in The Gympie Times for more than 50 years.

Gympie Turf Club president Shane Gill said Mr Fitzhenry was “the type of person who was not there for the accolades”.

Mr Fitzhenry’s racing calling may have been the prominent part of his resume, but Mr Gill said he was the man behind other things including bringing milk for tea and coffee.

“All those jobs that just happened, that people don’t see happening” Mr Gill said.

“You don’t realise how much they do until they’re not there.”

Mr Fitzhenry’s first race call in Gympie was in 1968.

Barry Fitzhenry called his first Gympie race in 1968, a role he continued up until about 2020. Photo Craig Warhurst/The Gympie Times

He swiftly became a fixture at the Turf Club, and ultimately a lifetime member.

Mr Fitzhenry’s passion for racing and five decades writing for The Gympie Times was commemorated at a gala dinner celebrating a milestone in media few reach.

“I remember presenting him with an award in 2018 for his 50 years of impeccable service to the Gympie Times,” editor Shelley Strachan said.

“I noted at the time how much had changed in Australia and at The Gympie Times since Mr Fitzhenry started writing Turf Topics 50 years ago (In 2018) there had been nine Gympie Times editors since 1968, 12 prime ministers, 50 Nobel Peace Prize laureates and 16 Australian cricket captains. But there had been only one Barry Fitzhenry.

“As far as I know he never missed a week or a deadline.

“Every time I went to the races I followed his tips and they came up for me more often than not.

“He loved it and he knew it inside out.

Barry Fitzhenry’s first Turf Topics article, a weekly feature of The Gympie Times for more than 50 years.

“He was an institution and this is a sad day for local racing, and for The Gympie Times.”

Former Turf Club president Spencer Slatter, who worked with Mr Fitzhenry for three decades, said “racing was (Mr Fitzhenry’s) life”.

The passion followed from his father and grandfather, who were themselves fixtures of the racing industry.

Mr Slatter said outside racing Mr Fitzhenry, a lifelong bachelor, had worked as a schoolteacher at Kingaroy “for many years”.

But “racing was his life”.

“He bred a lot of horses,” Mr Slatter said.

Mr Fitzhenry’s funeral will be held at 10am on Thursday 30 June at Gympie Funerals, 236 Brisbane Road, Gympie.

The Gympie Turf Club has asked on social media for its members to attend.