Maurice, affectionately known as Morry, is one of our lovable Infinite Care residents. Now 86, Morry has had a lifetime full of unique achievements and has many a story worth telling. Too good not to share!
Morry was born in SA in 1932. After completing his schooling he went to work in the field of Marine Engineering as a Fitter and Turner. He worked there for 10 years until he made the decision to start his own business making kitchen appliances.
A Passion for the Ocean
Another 10 years passed. Morry stayed busy running his own business but his interest in marine never waned. He eventually decided to build himself a fishing boat! A big project he not only completed, but which became his livelihood when he decided to be a professional fisherman. Morry was out in the ocean daily catching Tuna, Crayfish and Snapper. He recalls a day in 1957 where he caught 387 Crayfish – by far his best catch ever!
A Sad Day
Alas there came a sad day where Morry’s boat sank. He wasn’t willing to give up his love of the sea though, and instead started driving tug boats for a living. Never one to be discouraged, our mate Morry decided to build another boat. This time he built to impress – a show boat which he named the ‘Captain Matthew Flinders’. Morry operated his show boat business for 7 years and sailed up and down the Port River hundreds of times.
Unfortunately, times got tough, as times often do. Morry made the hard decision to sell his beloved show boat to a Canadian company. Part of the deal was for him to deliver the boat to its new owners in Toronto!
Canada Bound
With one crew member by his side, Morry commenced the 5-month journey to Canada. This took him from Port Adelaide to Fiji, then to Tahiti, Panama Pacific and Nasho before he arrived at his destination, Toronto, Ontario. As Captain Morry sailed into port he was greeted by a sea-plane with a sign flapping behind it emblazoned with, “WELCOME TO CAPTAIN MATTHEW FLINDERS”. A big band played Waltzing Matilda and a crowd welcomed him in to dock…. an epic life moment Morry says he will never forget!
After handing over the vessel and giving the new owners instruction on its running, Morry decided to do some travelling. He went on to spent several months in England and Singapore. When he arrived back in Australia he took up tug boat driving again.
The Journey Continues
That’s not where the adventures ended for Morry! He says that in addition to boats he had also always been interested in airplanes. Being a man of many talents he decided to build one… of course he did! This seemingly mammoth task only took Morry 6 months to achieve as he looked forward to its maiden voyage. Sadly the voyage was not meant to be. Morry contracted shingles in both his eyes and he was never able to fly his dream plane. Understandably he had to surrender his pilot’s license and he was forced to sell his plane.
Life Beyond the Air and Sea
Morry has been one of our residents for just over a year now and has settled in very well. He has made many friends and says he is now enjoying a quieter and more slow paced life. A black and white photo (pictured) of a dapper looking ship captain sits pride of place in his bedroom, reminding Morry of one of many proud moments in his life.
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