Outpouring of grief after wildlife lover Hammy Forrest loses her battle with illness

A one-of-kind wildlife pioneer has been remembered as an ‘amazing mum’ and ‘best friend to all’ after her death following a long battle with illness.

Pelican and Seabird Rescue (PaSR) president Hammy Forrest, “a seabirds greatest ally”.

The wildlife world has lost an amazing ally and a family is mourning “the glue that held everyone together” after the death of their matriarch.

There has been an outpouring of grief and love for Pelican and Seabird Rescue Inc president Hammy Forrest who lost her battle with a long-term illness on Friday, October 8.

She leaves behind daughter Natty and son Wesley Forrest as well as life long best friend Sally George.

Hammy Forrest from Pelican and Seabird Rescue was well known in the Redlands and Brisbane Bayside area as wildlife ally.

Her daughter paid tribute to her “best friend”.

“It was her time, like she did with everything in life she did it in her way, on her terms,” she said.

“She continued to achieve and accomplish the things that she needed to over the past 10 months after a stint in hospital.

“She was the most amazing mum, I think we all think our mums are amazing but I feel so blessed and so grateful to have had my mum.

“She’s everything – she’s my best friend and my brother feels the same.”

Ms Forrest said her mother truly was not only her rock but everyone else’s as well.

“She was our glue and she was everybody’s glue,” she said.

“Even in her passing she is affecting people even the funeral directors and anyone who has had anything to do with mum since she’s passed.

“Struggles weren’t a struggle because you had mum – she always had your back, she was my rock and she could fix anything.”

There has been an outpouring of grief and love for Pelican and Seabird Rescue Inc president Hammy Forrest.

Ms Forrest was well known in the Redlands and Brisbane Bayside area as wildlife ally.

The 70-year-old had been at the helm of the volunteer organisation specialising in rescues of injured birds since 2003.

PaSR was incorporated in 2006 and granted a Queensland Government permit for the rescue and rehabilitation of pelicans and seabirds in 2007, becoming the first organisation in Queensland to do so.

Wildlife pioneer remembered as ‘amazing mum’ and seabird ally

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Ms Forrest said the idea for the pelican rescue group came from a holiday at Stradbroke Island.

“Rather than enjoying their time over there, they (Mum and her friends) spent the weekend trying to catch this bird to help it,” Ms Forrest said.

“So when they got home, they made it their mission to track down someone who could help.

“When they couldn’t find anyone to do it, they got skilled themselves – got the equipment and went over and got the bird themselves the following week.”

Hammy Forrest from Pelican & Seabird Rescue and Kim Pantano from Osprey House with rescued pelican, Langley.

Ms Forrest said one of her nicknames for the vivacious 70-year-old was “action mum”.

“There’s normal mums and then there’s my mum – action mum,” she said.

“You don’t go to the movies and get your nails done, you don’t do all of this mother daughter stuff, we’ve got birds to rescue, we’ve got stuff to do.”

Ms Forrest said everything Hammy did, she did it extraordinarily.

“If something needed fixing around the house you’d go to mum – she had all of her tools,” she said.

“Every person that came here was just in awe and envious of just how well kept and meticulously kept her whole workshed is.

“She made most of our rescue equipment, mum did it whether it was sewing or getting down and dirty and cutting and drilling things.

“She was very curious and I think that’s one of her greatest attributes, her curiosity for life and how things and people work and how she could just have an instant connection with anyone.

“You could know her for five minutes and feel like you’ve been her mate for a lifetime.”

A seabirds greatest ally, Helen "Hammy" Forrest.

Ms Forrest said her mother would be so overwhelmed with the outpouring of support since her death.

“This isn’t just an intimate loss, she’s a best mate and a mentor to so many people,” she said.

“She is everything to everyone and it is a very shared grief and so powerful.”

Aside from her incredible environmental work, Ms Forrest was a passionate golfer who was acknowledged with several awards.

She also managed the Morningside squash courts.

“It was renowned as being the most social and incredible club to be at during mums management,” Natty Forrest said.

“She was an a-grade squash player, she and four of her close friends were the first female squash team to enter the male squash competition and they won it that year too.

“She was very passionate about equal rights for women.”

Hammy Forrest was also nominated for an Australia of the Year award and won several gardening awards for her conservation work at her property.

The wildlife warrior will be acknowledged in next week’s Redland Council meeting with Cr Adelia Berridge paying tribute in recognition of Hammy’s “extremely valuable volunteer work”.