It is a beautiful plaque, with an inset photo of Mr Stratton. Unfortunately that photo is cropped into an oval, and doesn't show that he about to play lawn bowls!! While plaque does state that was blind, it doesn't have the space to give some of the story behind that. The plaque reads:
REMEMBERING
PERCE
STRATTON
21/9/1921 - 10/3/2006
A Man Who Loved Hay
A Tireless worker for this Community.
On this site he worked for many years
as the Volunteer Civic Centre Gardener
despite being blind.
At the top of the Biography of Perce (website link below) is a copy of a similar 'plaque', which has the following wording:
In Fond Memory
of
HAROLD GEORGE STRATTON
(Perce)
21/9/1921 - 10/3/2006
and His Wife
DOROTHY MARY STRATTON
5/6/1928 - 10/1/1998
In God's Care
While Perce wasn't born blind, when he came to Hay aged 5 with his mother in 1926 he already had sight deficiencies, and by 19 years was totally blind in his right eye. Cataract surgery in 1940 was nothing like it is today, and when surgery was done to remove the cataract from his left eye when he was about 20 years old, it was unfortunately not successful, but he then became totally blind.
He worked with a removalist company, as a packer of furniture. During World War 2 he had the opportunity to develop a small market garden, and during a Hay Agricultural Show won first prize for "The Best Collection of Home Grown Vegetable", having displayed no fewer than 19 different varieties - however the 'War Certificate' couldn't be cashed for another 7 years!
His good memory was continued to be used to inventory the furniture of the Hay Furniture Company where worked. And then he joined the Hay Citizens Band in 1947. In 1953 he began to attend every General Meeting of the Hay Council, and became elected as an Alderman in 1956, serving two terms.
In 1958 he joined the Hay Apex Club as it commenced, and for 19 years attended every annual district, zone, and national convention! He also supported, from 1959 the push to build a public swimming pool.
He was also an inaugural member of the Hay & District Tourist Association (1970), and the Hay Historical Society (1970). He also served as the president of the combined Girl Guides, and Boy Scouts Association. In 1977 Perce lobbied for a Lawn Cemetery for Hay.
In 1978 he met Dorothy, and when married moved to Sydney (Wentworthville) where a neighbour learning that Perce had played lawn bowls in Hay aided him, and the Wentworthville Bowling Club regularly sponsored disabled social bowls events. With Perce winning State and National events, and even went to Canada in 1994, and to Scotland in 2001 to compete!
He moved into Courtland Retirement Village at North Parramatta in 1994 with his wife, but Dorothy passed away in 1998. He did return to Hay to live in 2004, and died at Hay Hospital on 10th March, 2006. RIP
See the end of the Biography link below, for a list of the Community Service Positions held in Hay from 1947 - 1978, and his success as blind Lawn Bowler from 1980 - 2003 !! [Above information gleaned from the Biography]
Address: 204 Lachlan St, Hay NSW 2711
Visited: 0828, Friday, 1 June, 2018