A man with two dreams

I first met Harry Ihlein at Woy Woy in 1964.

Harry was about average height, clean-cut, and he had a quiet and reserved nature, but when the chips were down, he could be very tough and determined.

Harry Ihlein was president of the Woy Woy branch of the Australian Labor Party, in the 60s and he had two projects and two dreams.

One dream was to get Kevin Dwyer, the Labor candidate into State Parliament.

This was Kevin's second attempt to win the State seat.

Harry was Kevin's campaign manager and they worked like Trojans to win the seat.

With his determined streak truly showing, Harry drove himself and the other branch members to exhaustion in the effort to get the Labor candidate elected.

Unfortunately, at that time, the then Labor government was worn out, and the Liberals under a new rising star, Robin [Bob] Askin, were pushing Labor to the wire.

This situation, combined with the DLP vote gave Kevin Dwyer little chance.

Kevin was beaten and the Labor government fell.

The other project of Harry's, was one of turning the old Neilson Slipper factory in Railway St, Woy Woy, into a Labor club.

Harry and his committee had Millers brewery interested, had the required number of members and some capital.

He then tried to get some Labor Ministers involved in the scheme, regretfully, all to late.

The Labor government was gone and the club never got off the ground.

Harry had put all his dreams in the one basket, the election and the club.

He had resigned his job in the Fire Brigade as a sail maker, in the hope that Kevin Dwyer would win the election and Harry would be his electorate secretary.

It was not to be and Harry dropped out of the Labor Party, his dreams shattered.

However, he was far from being destroyed, and he always kept a level head and a shrewd sense of humour.

Tragically, Harry's life was cut short in a car accident at Ettalong Beach.

Harry was like one of those unforgettable people.

He was friendly, good-natured, resolute and determined.

A man you could trust, a good bloke.

Keith Whitfield, Woy Woy