Murray Harris

Brian Harris Many West days OR Beatles & Jock with Mick & Min There are so many memories wrapped up in this photo. After seven years of not having to share Murray (Jock) with siblings, Dave and Debbie arrived on the scene in November 1963 while Murray and I were pirates at the school's fancy dress ball. Dad promptly gave the twins nicknames, Mick and Min. I was given Min (Debbie) to look after while Mick (David) was Murray's responsibility. He took his role as a caring older brother, and later as uncle, seriously from that day on. In the photo we are standing under the bedroom window that Murray jumped out of regularly to escape the mandatory Sunday afternoon 'sleeps' Two garden beds are just out of the photo. Murray hated the equally mandatory Sunday afternoon gardening. The wicket in the background was an almost permanent fixture in the side yard. Great times! Thank you for being my brother. Brian Pic l-r - Beatles holding Min; Jock holding Mick.

Tracey de Kever There won’t be too many people still around that remember most of these people but this was from the early 90’s? These people were the Retail Team that ran the Gas Corp / Boral stores. Murray was the Stores Manager (before Procurement became a profession) him & Rob ran the stores while Neil & I ran the Sales Admin. Before Murray went to manage the Stores he was the Sales Administrator (Neil took over from him and I eventually took over from Neil). As the Stores Manager he use to ring me every day at Yakka (uniform supplier) to complain and whinge about his missing, lost or wrong orders 🙉. I in turn would ask him when we could expect payment for outstanding invoices. One day when we were doing our supply & payment negotiation, I mentioned that I was bored and needed more of a challenge. He said that there was a job going he would sort it turn up and tell the Mgr JN he had sent me. So the interview with Manager JN (a book of stories all of his own) went like this….whilst eating his sandwich he asked could I start Monday, he then let out a huge fart and told me the job was mine - no resume or LinkedIn profile needed in the good ole days. For the first few weeks when I went to lunch I was told to leave my bag in the office??? Perplexed but not wanting to rock the boat I complied only to find out later that the girl (yes we were young enough to be girls back then) who had been doing the job before me was loading her bag up with paperwork and dumping it in bins down at the river during her lunch break. In her defence it was all manual at in those days one single sale was 27 different pieces of paper if nothing went wrong & those ladies in the sales stores could sell up a storm. There are a lot of Newstead Stores stories, some that can be told and some are best forgotten as in todays world they would be inappropriate. Anyway back to the dress up pictures… Every Christmas the manufacturers Craig & Seeley and Westinghouse would put on lavish parties trying to out do each other. Basically for the retail cost of one appliance the company that threw the best party got the lions share of the appliance sales for the first quarter of the new year. Kim Sharpe who use to manage the Sandgate store is the only person still working for the organisation as far as I am aware (Murray was awesome but Kim has staying power).

Brian Harris Murray took after his mother Dawn in that he had a real way with written words. He wrote poems about the important and the trivial, the happy and the desperately sad. They all came from his heart.

Peter Turner Murray was voted Origin's most valuable employee by his peers. He wins a Sydney 2000 Olympics package donated by a corporate sponsor. He gifts it to the Make a Wish Foundation. Of course he does. Corporate sponsor finds out and donates another package to Murray on the proviso he actually uses it this time. He asked me what the consequences would be if he donated it again. I had to smile and tell him that he really should take Marg and enjoy the Olympics....please....just this once.....

Sonja Altmann Murray was a great man to work with. He "adopted me" as my manager was in Adelaide and I didn't have other team members to work with. He always included me in team functions. He was a great mentor and a bunch of fun too.

Peter Turner Murray survived 14 hours on a plane to the USA without a smoke break...then made up for it at the Grand Canyon and Hollywood (this was a work trip and Murray made sure we extracted the absolute most from it!). Not a can of coke in sight....which bothered him just as much as the smoke-free plane ride. He deserves his own star on the Boulevard.

Peter Turner This one is for Marg, Emma and Sara... It's why I loved every day I spent working with Murray. He affectionately called me 'boss'. I was never his boss, I was always his friend.

Sonja Altmann Origin Christmas Party in 2004 was a fantastic night of barefoot bowls. I have no idea who won, but It was a fantastic night.

Belle Weeden Mr H... this was my first Christmas party at Origin 2004. And I literally wouldn't be where I am today if you didn't take a chance on a loud, "interesting" blonde girl from a farm in NSW ... You started as my hero and just continued on to be that and much more.... x

Belle Weeden The fun and laughter spread out from the team and many little souls found their way into your heart and under your wings...

Brian Harris This is sort of like "Where's Wally?" but instead it's "Where's Murray?" Everyone knows that Murray loved his family but not many people know just how many people were in his family for him to love. This is one of the photos taken at a "small" Everingham family gathering - with uncles, aunts, cousins and their families. The gathering was held at Coronation Park, The Channon - now the site of The Channon markets, and also where Murray's mother Dawn Everingham, lived as a little girl. Murray loved The Channon, from his earliest Christmas holidays with his Grandma through to his breaks and escapes to his Uncle Noel & Aunty Georgette's farm.

Peter Turner Murray wrote this message to the now CEO of Origin Energy on this day 18 years ago. Frank never quite knew how to respond :) NB: Murray got to keep his job post-Easter and the Broncos won.

Belle Weeden I think anyone who loved (loves) you and felt your care and concern at times felt you were their Superman, I certainly did and was lucky enough to have a pic to prove it :) x

Belle Weeden As you watched me spread my wings and branch out from the Procurement family (having given me the advice of where you thought I'd best land) I was hoping I'd be able to find something to resemble the nurture and care of where I started. I felt your ever watchful presence and I always visited to make sure you knew where my journey began and for me to be able to feel my soul with some Murray-isms.

Belle Weeden Mick thought you were pretty amazing too Mr H and I love this photo of you both, no doubt you telling him wonderful tales and him hanging on every word - perhaps some marital advice...? :) x

Belle Weeden Love this photo of you and Marg at the wedding, happy days, so blessed you guys were there x

Belle Weeden You and I cutting a rug or grass as it was on the day on the farm :) you certainly always knew how to have a good time, you being there just made our day so much special x

Belle Weeden One of the biggest days of my life and you not only came to our wedding but you drove 6 hours out of your normal range which all of us know was a bit deal, to attend for the weekend. We felt very loved and very grateful x

Belle Weeden Rob and you together happy as pigs in mud (which it was that day! ;) bringing a smile to my dial every day - seeing you together nutting the worlds troubles out and both celebrating Mick and I will never be lost on me x

Tracey de Kever Team Christmas Party 2012. Unfortunately I only have this collage and not the original photos because there are some classics here. It was a great day spent with the whole team and their families. Murray brought the whole family across town to join in the festivities, Emilio had his guns out 😂 we all laughed, bbq’d and enjoyed each others company

Tracey de Kever The Dream Team is no more There is a sad sort of clanging from the clock in the hall Regretfully they tell us But firmly they compel us To say goodbye So long, farewell, au revoir, auf Wiedersehen I’m glad to go, I cannot tell a lie Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye Not going to lie being made redundant was hard, we were a good team and deserved better but after a period of mourning and adjustment we both realised that we had been thrown a lifeline from the universe telling us to go do something we actually like. For years Murray thought his destiny was to write stories & poetry when he had the time, and believe me when I think of some of those proposals we got over the line they were stories and poetry in excel format. But then he tapped into his true creative self and started crafting all sorts of masterpieces. Then he got a big work bench and a drop saw and the magic really started - turns out working with timber was his happy place. Murray made this beautiful set of pots for me to raffle as a flood fundraiser and we made over $400. I am so happy he found such joy in making his masterpieces

Peter Turner Murray's first day after finishing at Origin.... His words of wisdom relayed to my son Aaron will always be remembered.

Peter Turner Sara - thought you might like to remember this too....he was thrilled by it.... "The attached is the drawing Sara got me for my birthday"

Tracey de Kever We love(d) and adored Murray, in return he loved and adored us and our kids & grandkids. Always the first to do baby cuddles and always had a surprise treat when he saw them. Like all good partnerships Marg probably did the treat shopping and Murray got the adoration. People talk about ‘work’ families, we were blessed with the real deal xo

Tracey de Kever Before Murray got sick he loved having the kids visit for a swim in the pool. When they started their little FandA Cans business he was one of their top suppliers in the early days 💰

Peter Turner When Murray found freedom after Origin, his art and craft talents found the light of day. His personality (and skill) shines through in every piece....

Emma Harris Murray's Life in Pictures. I'm not sure that Dean Lewis would have made it onto Dad's Spotify list however, we couldn't not use it - it was the last song he heard before he passed peacefully.

Sara Harris ❤️ ❤️❤️ Always encouraging

Tracey de Kever The man, the manager, the leader - an overview of Corporate Murray The world particularly my world suffered a great loss this week when you grew your Angel wings and left us. The last 4 yrs has been a mixed bag for you because you have had some big health challenges to deal with, but you also found great joy in finding your true creative self. For years we all thought you were a poet and a bull artist but it turns out you were a painter & wood worker and a real artist. Your superpower was collecting kittens (young people just starting in the workforce), strays (right people in wrong roles) and lost souls. You built their confidence and gave them a sense of purpose and worth which manifested itself in them all becoming highly successful individuals. Below are some phrases from a Uni Assignment I wrote back in the dark ages (circa brick phones) about what makes an effective leader; A good manager is a man who isn’t worried about his own career but rather the careers of those that work for him. Take care of those that work for you and you’ll float to greatness on their achievements. The opportunity to learn from someone as inspirational as M may only present itself once during a persons career, yet the lessons learnt will remain with us for a lifetime. The role of teacher and mentor is far more rewarding to M, then that of a corporate high flyer. Over the years many people have benefited by M’s leadership, all of them developing a greater sense of self esteem, confidence and decision making ability, attributes that have seen many gain management positions themselves. People don’t work for M they follow him, presumably because he manages his people through sensitivity and good human relations. People will not generally follow, simply for the sake of being led, they follow because they believe that they are being led in the right direction for the right reasons. One of the most significant things that sets M’s people aside from other departments is that they are a TEAM, not a group of INDIVIDUALS. The aim of a any effective leader, should be to inspire the organisations most valuable assets - its people. The quality I admire most about M, is that he cares about his people and honestly believes that ‘good people reflect good leadership. His is an enigmatic management style, the antithesis of that generally observed within …..(organisation withheld for the sake of those poor b&stards still there😂) Etc etc etc…you all get it! Murray was awesome but let’s not get carried away just because he has gone - I mean he wasn’t perfect but he was a benevolent dictator and when necessary he wasn’t afraid to manipulate the outcome of a situation in favour of his considered view. Who knew that naive young employee was so insightful and that these values & actions would form the basis of a friendship that would span over three decades. Whether you worked for him, above or below him, were a supplier he engaged, a member of his gossip/intel gathering/smoke club or just happened one day to be using the same coke machine at the same time, you are probably still thinking about how this slow talking bearded guy with a razor sharp mind had such an impact on your life. Murray you were my boss, my manager, my teacher, my mentor, my counsellor, the holder of my trust, my inspiration, you made me work hard and aim high, you gave me a purpose and made me feel valued. At times a pain in my butt but most of all you were my best friend. People come into our lives for a reason, season or lifetime I got blessed with all three. My heart is heavy and I miss our chats already but there is comfort in knowing that you left here peacefully to be greeted by the sight of Nifty’s roses in bloom, the smell of mums fresh baked cake and the sound of Garfield purring. Farewell my friend, go teach them Angels how to be the best version of themselves that they can be.

Tracey de Kever No words needed here the picture says it all! Murray talking passionately about young people & education

Tracey de Kever There were lots of good days but occasionally there were days like this

Tracey de Kever I have no idea what was going on in the office this day but I have so many questions; 1) Why both Murray & Rob were wearing the same shirt (coincidence because it definitely wasn’t a uniform) 2) Why is Murray wearing a bow tie & holding the worlds smallest ping pong paddle 3) Rob’s headgear ??? Having said that we were obviously have a great day at work

Tracey de Kever When we stopped working together ‘the girls’ made a pact to catch up on a regular basis. Sometimes life gets busy but those that can on the day do! On real special days we were blessed with Murray and Marg attending. On the days when Murray didn’t attend he would always request a happy snap. Today’s catch-up was bittersweet! The sunglasses on a gloomy day hide evidence of ‘ugly’ crying but the smiles reflect our time recalling the happiest of Murray memories. The Pepsi was symbolic in that there will never be a substitute for Murray in our hearts. Murray you will continue to be the glue that binds us and our favourite topic of conversation when ever we gather ❤️

Tracey de Kever Bill Dumbleton (guy between Murray and guy holding picture) organised a gathering of the ‘old’ LPG team to remember Muzza and give him a cracking send off. ODE TO MURRAY From humble beginnings in the Newstead Store. This southern bayside man would fill orders galore For Gas Corp branches across the Sunshine State Murray would ensure nobody had to wait. From valves and regulators, 1st and 2nd stage, Gas hoses and pipes, of various size and gauge Unusual gas fittings with some sort of funny thread Murray would find and dispense them, from the big tin shed In those early days, he had a head of long “surfy” hair And an attitude that some would say was a bit “devil may care” Although he clearly moved to the beat of a different drum His attention and caring said “this man ain’t no beach bum” Then the times moved and changed, as they always do. More responsibilities for Murray, and a procurement team too He became the guru for contacts and negotiations Over a meeting room table, he would extract win-win variations He was focussed and determined with any would-be supplier. To get the best deal, was always his aim as the buyer But he always maintained a calm and friendly demeanour “Take it easy” he’d say as they’d walk back out the door. A national expansion, his team kept doing more. Adding tractors and trucks, and four wheel drives galore Upstream or downstream, each business got the same Effective procurement and timeliness, was always the aim. Then plummeting oil prices, and a mountain of debt From an LNG project with no exports yet Time for a restructure and the shedding of costs Across the whole company to avoid a looming loss A new structure, redundancies, and centralisation No business unit was immune across the nation Too many procurement folk, Murray’s role was no more Sadly along with many others, he walked out the door. So finally he had time, for the things that he enjoyed. On Granddad Muzza, grandkids were deployed His family, his wisdom, his projects made for giving, All these things he enjoyed, a very private living. Amongst this, he got crook, and I guess we know the rest And now we’re here to remember Murray at his best The mentor, the friend, the leader and the coach The procurement outcomes from that very Murray approach. The family man, Grand Muzza from down Alex Hills way We celebrate and remember Murray here today His laugh, his irreverent humour, his earnestness and now, See you Murray, take it easy, wherever your spirit is now. ------------------------------------------

Tracey de Kever Happy 1st Heaven birthday Muz from everyone that shared cake with you purchased using a corporate credit card. You continue to inspire us all every day. Miss you heaps

Suzanne Dynes Happy birthday Murray! We miss you!

Brian Harris Take it easy , brother. Take it easy. We're missing you on your birthday.

Tracey de Kever Miss our chats Muz you were one of a kind. Conversations with you were always full of wisdom with a sprinkle of gossip xx This shirt would be a real topic of conversation atm