Tony Turton to be celebrated by Kumbia community in memorial service

A beloved cartoonist, successful businessman and clever inventor who left his mark on multiple Qld communities and local newspapers is being honoured after his sad passing. TRIBUTES, CARTOON GALLERY.

Celeste Müller

4 min read

May 28, 2025 - 3:55PM

JOKESTER: Cartoonist Tony Turton loved to make people laugh with his cartoons. Photo: Rhiannon Tuffield / South Burnett Times

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A beloved cartoonist, successful businessman and clever inventor who left his mark on everyone he met has been remembered as a gentleman whose community spirit will live on.

Anthony ‘Tony’ Cecil Turton passed away after a short illness on March 4, 2025 and a memorial is set to be held at the end of this month.

Mr Turton was born February 1, 1930.

He lived in Zambia and Zimbabwe for much of his early life but spent the first few months in England because his mother, Evelyn, wanted to be near her own mother when she gave birth.

He had a yearning for Australia since he was a young boy and would listen to his mother tell stories about the Australian soldiers she cared for as a nurse in the First World War.

While attending Plumtree, a well-known boarding school in Zimbabwe, a young Mr Turton excelled academically and at sports, particularly boxing and rowing.

Mr Turton and his wife, Sheilah Doyle, met in 1951 at a 21st birthday party neither of them had wanted to attend and it was love at first sight. Photo Troy Kippen / South Burnett Times

Upon graduation, he studied civil engineering at Cape Town University.

Mr Turton and his wife, Sheilah Doyle, met in 1951 at a 21st birthday party neither of them had wanted to attend and it was love at first sight for the pair.

Anne Skinner, Mr Turton’s eldest child, remembered her dad telling her about this defining moment in his life while the two were holidaying in China together.

“When he walked in the room, she was sitting there surrounded by all her girlfriends and he said there was just this light glowing around her, and he was just pulled towards her,” Anne said.

The two were married the following year and had two children, Anne and her younger brother Michael.

The family moved to Queensland in 1961, where Mr Turton’s first job was managing a Hereford stud on Cressbrook Station, near Toogoolawah, before moving to Central Western Queensland where he managed the Cumberland Santa Gertrudis Stud near Barcaldine.

Mr Turton would wake up early before work to give Anne horse riding lessons, a time that was “very special” to her.

“He would get up early in the morning, wake me up and give me horse riding lessons because that was all the time he had,” she said.

“And later on when we lived out in Western Queensland we would go mustering together, and he would just talk about things he wouldn’t normally talk about at home.”

In the early 1970s, the family moved to the South Burnett and Mr Turton bought a half share in the Kumbia Engineering Works, in partnership with the late Wally Thamm.

Anne said her a good way to describe her father was “creatively practical”, as he was a very practical person but was always looking for ways to improve things.

He even appeared on ABC’s The Inventors television show to showcase a trailer with a special lifting arm he created while he was working at the engineering works to enable them to assemble peanut bins on site before putting them into position.

Sometimes people would ask him if he could fix something and even if he didn’t have the faintest idea, he would take up the challenge and figure it out.

Mr Turton always had a talent for drawing, and gravitated towards funny things, like cartoons, however he was also a keen photographer and spent his life photographing his family.

Sketch artist Tony Turton from Kingaroy produces one of his cat cartoons at the Bunya Picnic. Photo Ray Humphrys / Dalby Herald

At first, it was just drawing pictures for children, usually their favourite animals, but then it grew into offering his cartoons to the local newspapers, The South Burnett Times and Burnett Today.

“A former Kumbia woman told me how she, aged five, sat on Dad’s lap in the engineering works while he dropped what he was doing to draw her a cartoon,” Anne shared.

Mr Turton and his wife frequented Bloom’s Chemist in the IGA Kingaroy complex and he over the years he drew many pictures for the staff, which they still proudly display.

“Whenever a new girl started, he would say ‘what’s your favourite animal?‘ And he would draw the animal and they would put them up on the wall,” Anne said.

After he retired, Mr Turton didn’t slow down too much and became the “go-to person” for all kinds of jobs in the community, from creating posters to mentoring at Kumbia Primary school.

Anne said her father was great at explaining maths problems in a way that made children understand, and would often say, “the easiest way is always the best”.

He was also part of the Rotary Club and would regularly help with collecting money for Red Cross or St Vincent de Paul.

He even created the entry statements at either end of Kumbia, with a local timber artist carving the “Welcome to Kumbia” wording.

In January of this year, Mr Turton was hospitalised after a fall and subsequent chest pains, after which doctors discovered he had severe sepsis.

While in hospital, he became a “well-loved fixture” and kept the doctors and nurses entertained with his unshakeable sense of humour.

Anne said her father was great at explaining maths problems in a way that made children understand, and would often say, “the easiest way is always the best”. Photo: Louise Cheer / South Burnett Times

He fought hard for his life, beating the sepsis and an initial bout of pneumonia, however he died in Kingaroy Hospital on Tuesday, March 4 after suffering a second bout of pneumonia.

He was 95-years-old.

Anne said she couldn’t speak highly enough of the staff at Kingaroy Hospital, who went “above and beyond” to try to save his life and thanked them from “the bottom of her heart”.

South Burnett locals took to social media to share their memories of Mr Turton, with many fondly remembering his gentlemanly character and his quick wit.

“The Kumbia community is so much the better for having had you in it. Your wonderful stories, drawings, community spirit and humour and kindness will live on in all of those whose lives you touched,” Jodi shared.

“We lived couple doors up from Tony and Sheila and (I) always loved a good story or a drawing from Mr Turton as a little fella, back when I was in primary school,” Michael wrote.

“What a wonderful man and what a wonderful legacy he has left us to appreciate. Truly, an amazing man,” Keith said.

A memorial service and celebration of life for Mr Turton will be held at Kumbia Hall on Saturday, May 31 at 11am.