Today Camden said a final farewell to one of its finest citizens, Theresa Testoni, who died at the age of 82.
The funeral service for the former mayor and owner of historic Gledswood Homestead was held this morning at St Paul’s Catholic Church, Camden.
It was attended by a large number of family, friends and council and business associates of Theresa Testoni, a dinky di tourism legend, as pointed out in the eulogy by one of her sons, Marcus.
We spotted former Camden mayor and MP Geoff Corrigan as well as former Camden Council general manager/town clark Robert Rolfe and serving councilor Eva Campbell among the many mourners who had come to pay their last respects to a great woman of our district.
In his eulogy, younger son Evyn remembered his mother’s no nonsense approach to parenting: “it was either mum’s way or the Hume Highway’’, he said, in reference also to the fact Gledswood Homestead fronted on to the Hume Highway, now known as Camden Valley Way.
Both sons though pointed to what Theresa will always be remembered for in Camden and the wider Macarthur community: freely giving of her time to help others.
This was on top of her mighty efforts to use Gledswood Homestead as a lure to drag some overseas visitors out of the Harbour Bridge/Opera House tourist trap and to the real Australia. Which of course included sheep shearing and other quintessential Australian traditions at Gledswood Homestead when the Testonis ran the historic property.
As son Marcus pointed out in his eulogy, this strategy was so successful, for a time 10 per cent of all Japanese tourists took up the chance to board a bus to visit Gledswood Homestead.
Theresa shared her knowledge with other tourism operators in Macarthur, including the Masina family, who took over the running of historic Eschol Park House in 1991.
John Masina, who attended today’s funeral on behalf of the family, said that Theresa was “tremendous’’ and “very helpful to us’’.
Following the service at St Paul’s, the internment was held at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery.
Theresa Testoni (July 20, 1932 – January 4, 2014) R.I.P.
Right: The service is getting under way inside the church
