Tony ‘Benny’ Benneworth walked into The Examiner office in the late 1960s a wide-eyed cadet determined to succeed – and he did.
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As a journalist he “asked the right questions and got to the heart of the story”, according to his friend of more than 50 years Tom O’Meara.
It was a friendship that came to a bitter end on Saturday, when the 67-year-old tragically drowned while on a fishing trip at Ansons Bay in the state’s North-East.
The incident also claimed the life of 73-year-old Tony Long of Youngtown.
A former journalist and general manager at The Examiner, Mr O’Meara said he was still processing the news, but he was confident Benny’s legacy would live on.
“I hadn’t met him until he walked into The Examiner’s office,” he said.
“But we were great friends right up until Saturday.
“When I first met him he was a very active young man who wanted to get to the top of the ladder.
“He worked very hard.
“As a cadet in those days, he was often on the late shift.
“On the police rounds, he was out and about finding out what was happening and asking the questions.
“Sport was always his passion and his success was a testament to that.
“He was always a very strong sports reporter. He wrote what he loved.”
As a politician, a sportsman and a fierce advocate for his community, Mr Benneworth touched the lives of many people.
From 1971 he spent a decade playing with Riverside Cricket Club, including Tasmania’s inaugural Sheffield Shield win in 1978.
Many of his later years were spent on the bowling greens, including his role as president of Bowls North Tasmania and the Trevallyn Bowls and Community Club.
Mr O’Meara said Benny couldn’t get enough of sport and was an avid Carlton supporter, but his real legacy was in the work he did for his community behind the scenes.
“There is a near infinite list of the people and groups he was affiliated with,” he said.
“He was a great guy who you could really have a lot of fun with.
“I have been receiving phone calls and emails from all over the world since Saturday.
“He was a natural leader and had a great sense of looking after people.
“His focus was always his community and he was out there helping people every day like no one else I know.
“He would always do what he could to help, working hard behind the scenes for the community’s best interests.”
Police investigations into the incident are continuing.
Jessica Willard
Being a health reporter to me is about more than just reporting the problems. It's about asking why they are happening in the first place and what needs to change to fix it.
Being a health reporter to me is about more than just reporting the problems. It's about asking why they are happening in the first place and what needs to change to fix it.
