Historian with a great past

PEOPLE who knew Eric Tetlow – and there were many – were aware of his passion for everything historical.
Since he and his wife, Jenny, retired to Yarra Glen in 1992 Eric became a popular and valuable member and official of no fewer than three local historical societies.
But there were surprises when his life before “historicals” was celebrated among friends and family after his death in June – not the least being held by bandits in the Khyber Pass as he hitched his way across to Europe.
There was also the story of how he won his Jenny’s heart during a trip to Central Australia. He flattened a penny to patch a leaking radiator. She was very impressed.
His computer skills were highly valued in the work he did for the historical societies, but what was not well known was that he brought back one of the early personal computers from England.
Eric Sydney Tetlow was the elder of Nell and Bill Tetlow’s two sons.
He was born at Bacchus Marsh and although the family moved to Melbourne when he was young, the love of the bush was always there.
He grew up during the Great Depression and, with his father away during World War II, life was tough at times.
Intelligent and with an inquiring mind, he was largely self-educated, developing a broad knowledge on many subjects.
He loved to work outdoors and among 21 different jobs he tried his hand at working in railyards and abattoirs and for 30 years he was construction inspector with the Board of Works.
He was 17 when he got a job at a riding school, sparking a love of horses. Later he would go droving in Queensland and spent time in the High Country.
He was an international traveller. At 26 he set off for England – a working holiday and the first of many overseas trips.
Jenny and Eric were married in 1967 and raised their two sons, Rob and Warwick, in Bundoora.
Their memories of the dad they described as “a legend in his own life-time” were delightful, amusing and, again, revealing.
He was a teacher and adviser, loved to share a joke, was a “Greenie” before it became fashionable and, while he couldn’t kick a ball or catch one, “he could hammer a three-inch nail into hardwood with three strikes”.
He tried his hand at rodeo – not overly successfully – but was glad he did it and they said “he could run down a half-mad steer in the High Country, on an equally mad horse, rope it, and bring it back to the herd”.
He could climb tall trees, grow vegies, built cubby houses and a fort for his adored and adoring grandchildren and make them little wooden aeroplanes.
He made sure they had a good education – and knowing the difference between a Spitfire and a Hurricane, or which was better, a German Panther tank or a Russian T34, was critical to the curriculum.
Yarra Glen Historical Society president and friend Brenda Cawte described their secretary and treasurer as “brilliant in everything he did”.
He had a great mind and he loved helping people with their history.
Alma Mitchell, from the Healesville Historical Society where Eric was treasurer, described him as a great historian and researcher of family history.
“He would go to the end of the earth to find out someone’s history, she said.
He had put all the local school rolls on computer for the society.
He also worked as a volunteer with the State Library for 10 years researching the hotels of Melbourne.
Other community affiliations were with the Yarra Glen RSL and the Steels Creek Community Committee.
Eric was well-known and well-liked – friends were important to him – but family was everything. He was a loving and loved husband, father, father-in-law and grandfather.
Eric Tetlow died within weeks of being diagnosed with cancer.