Bluey born 16th August 1941 in Royal North Shore hospital, and was better known to most as Blue. Blue attended Lane Cove Public School and went on to high school at Crows Nest Boys.
Along with collecting scrap from about the age of 12, Blue’s entrepreneurship began with buying and selling horses from the saleyard, as well as collecting the milk bottles from the back step of the milk bar, and cashing them back in around the front. He then went on to be a street sweeper with horse and cart for the Lane Cove Council, where he met a young girl, Neridah, in her school uniform at the bus stop.
Blue and Neridah were married in 1963, with the arrival of their first child, Billy, in 1964, and a second child, Robert, in 1966. The new family then moved to Dundas in 1968, purchasing their first home with scrap money. Following this was the arrival of their daughter, Barbara in 1969 and finally John in 1971.
In 1972 at the age of 31, Blue became an owner-driver for Tooheys with his first beer truck, although this never kept him from continuously doing the scrap. Soon after, Blue and Neridah decided to follow their dream and buy a block of land in Galston in 1976, and moved into the log cabin in 1981. Anyone who has visited will remember the waterhole, barbeque, motorbikes and horses creating a constant buzz around the place, along with all the people coming and going.
As if not already busy enough, Blue then embarked on the journey of the water truck in 1979, running both trucks simultaneously. After running the beer truck for about 15 years, Blue decided it was time to wind down, but he still always managed to do the scrap.
In the following 10 years, Blue celebrated the arrival of his 4 grandchildren, Kristie, Chevonne, Joel and Geri, later extended with 2 great grandchildren, Ted and Allie. The time had then come for Blue to relax and enjoy his palace, while supporting ‘one or two’ venues with active club memberships throughout the community across his life.
Blue was always the type to help someone out in need, and has been remembered through the days of beer strikes, where he might re-arrange the stock on his truck to ensure his favourite venues didn’t go without.
So next time you visit the Galston or Glenorie club, or hear a story around a table about Bluey Hammond, remember to raise an Old, tell a good story – and You know the Rules.
