By Ron Lane
On Monday members of the Noosa Heads Surf Life Saving Club gathered at Gregson and Weight Funeral Parlor to bid a sad farewell to Phil Cave Life Member and highly respected long serving member of the club; Phil who passed away recently was aged 94.
Born in Gympie in 1924 and educated in both Imbil and Tewantin Phil spent his life as a farmer and on the outbreak of the war joined the Light Horse Brigade and after it was disbanded joined the 2nd Machine Gun Battalion. As a result of this he saw frontline action in the Borneo campaign.
On returning home Phil in 1946 joined the Noosa Club and along with his brother Maurie obtained his bronze medallion in 47. Then in 49 so highly regarded was Phil, that he was named as a member of the Australian Instructional team to visit Tasmania to promote lifesaving and help local clubs. The following year he became an examiner on the Sunshine Coast Branch.
In 1952 Phil met a lady on Noosa Beach named Nancy who became his wife in 53.They spent many years farming in the Pomona Eumundi district.
His winter months saw him play rugby league for the Rainbow Club in Gympie and there he played representative football for the district. When the Olympic Games came to Australia in 56 he carried the Olympic flame from Hill St Pomona toward Cooroy and later drove to Melbourne for the games. As a man he served his community in various capacities as a Freemason, member of Lions and also as a Noosa Shire Councilor. He also served time as the President of the Pomona Primary School Parents and Citizens Association. Amongst his happy memories were the time spent with his daughter Judy eating oysters and fish and chips on the jetty at Tewantin.
I first met Phil in 56 when I joined Noosa and as the art of body surfing was number one for lifesavers of the day I along with other members quickly discovered that if we wanted to learn the man to watch was our club mate Phil.
This quiet unassuming man was definitely the one who set the bar for us to reach. One quiet Sunday morning over a plate of food on the Surf Club verandah I explained his body surfing was held in the highest regard amongst his club mates. He looked at me and said in amazement, “Really?” Yes old mate really!
His services and above all his loyalty to his club were recently acknowledged when the boat section unanimously agreed to the naming of a new boat in his honor-The Phil Cave.
His life as a family man, a soldier in times of conflict, his service to the community and his dedication to lifesaving. What more could you ask of any man?
Phil, your family of five children, eight grandchildren and four greatgrandchildren will always be welcome in the Noosa Club.
Gone but not forgotten, he was definitely One of Our People.
