David Henshaw was a great man - as evidenced by the almost 300 family, friends, colleagues and peers commemorating his life on Tuesday afternoon - but he was also my best friend’s dad.
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He was the sort of father who checked you had enough money, or that your car had been serviced before a big trip, and he was always ready for a chat when I dropped in to his Grindelwald home. But mostly, he was one of the most inspiring people I have known.
The first time I met Mr Henshaw was at an event where we were asked to visualise the one thing we most wanted.
He introduced himself to our group and then gave us a quick lesson in how he used visualisation successfully: In 2009 Mr Henshaw overcame cancer – the disease he was to eventually succumb to – through medical treatment and positive thinking.
He used his powerful mind to visualise himself healthy and well. And so he was again.
People like David Henshaw are special people and they do marvellous things for their community.
- Dr Frank Madill
This positivity was referenced many times during the service at Finney Franklin Grove Centre at Youngtown, particularly by his daughters Virginia McMillan and Susan Henshaw.
“No matter how successful he became, he sought constant improvement in whatever he undertook. Sometimes we both suffered under this regime, such as being forced to listen to self-improvement tapes in the car on the way to school,” Mrs McMillan said.
“Dad was extremely generous, not only in a material way but also with his time and efforts... He was an enthusiastic and thoughtful host, never passing up the opportunity to open a bottle of fizz to share with friends,” she said.
The importance of friendship was picked up by Mr Henshaw’s younger daughter Susan.
“Dad had friends from many circles of life and consistently paid attention to these friendships… He enjoyed meeting new people and forming new friendships throughout his life,” Ms Henshaw said.
Long-term friend, retired Mowbray general practitioner and former Speaker of the House, Dr Frank Madill, conducted the service.
He knew Mr Henshaw for more than 40 years and was his doctor for some time.
They were introduced at a Liberal party meeting where they established the committee that promoted Kevin Newman at the Bass byelection in 1975.
“David’s role on election day was the announcer. We didn’t have mobile phones, we had two-way radios in the cars and David was base,” Dr Madill said.
Public speaking was a space where Mr Henshaw felt comfortable, with his career beginning in radio in Young before taking him as a broadcaster around New South Wales, Queensland and to Launceston, where he worked at 7LA, or LAFM.
From there Mr Henshaw started with AMP in 1975 and then later went into business as a financial adviser until he retired in 1994. It was in this business, Henshaw Trethewie, where Peter Gutwein worked as office manager before entering politics.
Although always community minded, it was in his retirement that Mr Henshaw contributed most to the Launceston community.
His vast associations with many organisations included Launceston and Launceston West Rotary clubs, with which he was involved for 43 years and was twice the recipient of the Paul Harris fellowship.
Another organisation close to his heart was the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, of which he was president of the Friends committee, a foundation member of the arts foundation, management board member and founding chairman of the Herbert Scott Society.
Mr Henshaw was also involved with Clifford Craig Medical Research Trust, St Luke’s medical benefits and hospital boards, Royal Launceston Show Society, Launceston Church Grammar School, National Rose Garden and the Liberal Party.
“David was well suited to being a fundraiser because he himself was a very generous donor to many of these, and other, organisations. He really could be termed a true philanthropist,” Dr Madill said.
“People like David Henshaw are special people and they do marvellous things for their community. He has done a massive amount of community work, but he loved it. Whatever he did, he did with his whole heart.”
“It was a life full to the brim of all the things we hold dear and important. A true quality life,” he said.
Mr Henshaw founded Trek of the Tasmanian Tiger rides in the state’s north, an organisation formed to celebrate Tasmania’s bicentenary on horseback, through his association with Arizona-based Los Charros del Desierto.
“A passion of Dad’s was horse riding. He loved it so much he introduced the [Los Charros Del Desierto ride] concept to Australia with the Trek of the Tasmanian Tiger in our bicentennial year, and many of the American riders attended the trek over the years,” Ms Henshaw said.
“After organising 20 successful rides, the baton was handed to a younger group and Dad mentored the new organiser.”
The 2018 trek participants will ride with an empty saddle in Mr Henshaw’s honour.
David Henshaw died on January 10, aged 80.
He leaves wife Lyn, daughters Virginia and Susan, son-in-law Ross, grandson Charlie and step-grandchildren Zoe, Georgia and Simon.