Vale Terry Murphy (1947-2020)

On October 16 Uringa lost a member who was part of the heart and soul of our club: Terry Murphy.

Terry loved orienteering, he loved competing, and he loved the social side of the sport (and was well known to enjoy a cleansing ale after events).

He was both an urban and bush orienteer.  He participated at all levels nationally and also competed and/or spectated overseas. Terry was one of the inaugural runners in the Sydney Summer Series (the Wednesday afternoon events) and was there every year until this year’s 30^th series.

Behind the scenes Terry was a stalwart of the club. If there was help needed at any event, he was there. Terry organised, on behalf of Uringa, the Australian Orienteering Championships at Yuruga in 1999 (especially meritorious as he would have been holding down an onerous professional job at the time). He was known to ensure that others could get their run at an event, whatever the impact on him.

Terry also helped run the club: Club Secretary 1984-1988, Club President 1995-1998, and an inaugural Board member 2019-2020 after Uringa incorporated. Terry was instrumental in preparing the new club constitution as part of the incorporation process. He also represented the club as a delegate to ONSW (1986-1989, 1993-1994).

Over the years Terry also contributed to Orienteering NSW. He was a Board member 1986-1988, and drafted the first constitution for the Association’s incorporation in 1987.

The Helen and Terry Murphy team frequently provided their home for club meetings. More important to many they often hosted the club’s annual social events such as the Christmas Party or Mid-winter dinner. He was an early recipient (1990) of Uringa’s annual President’s Cup, an event at the Christmas Party every year.

Terry had a great love for all sports. He served time on the NRL Judiciary and was often seen in blue – Sydney City, or yellow – Waratahs. He was oft times seen enjoying cucumber sandwiches at the cricket and was a committed fan of Sydney FC.

Our thoughts go out to Helen, Catherine, Clare and Patrick and their families and the wider Murphy clan.

 The photos which follow are but a small selection representing Terry’s orienteering life.

1991 Dungaree Forest Relays

1995 Fondue Night

1995 Uringa Orienteers 21st Birthday

2001 Uringa Christmas Party

2002 World Masters Melbourne

2003 In Switzerland for the World Orienteering Championships

2005 A break after the Easter Three Days in Jindabyne

2007 Staffing the start at Junior World Orienteering Championships, Dubbo

2008 Back to Dubbo to enjoy those JWOC maps...

2010

2012 Celebrating 40 years of the Centennial Park orienteering map

2014 Celebrating Uringa's 40th Birthday

2014 Celebrating Uringa's 40th Birthdday

2014 Christmas Five Days event at Cockatoo Island

2017 Uringa event - The Old Gas Works

2017 The Noughties Party (birthday celebrations for everyone whose age ends in zero)

2017 Australian Championships, Bathurst

2018 Orienteering friends are for more than orienteering

2018 The family that orienteers together... (Sydney University event)

2019 Uringa Annual General Meeting

2019 Running in the President's Cup at the Christmas Party