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LOCAL LIFE
ONE OF THE HAWKESBURY’ S FINEST...
Kurrajong Butchery proprietor, Andrew Sinclair, has been producing quality meats for customers since first taking up knife and steel back in 1981. Photo: Kathryn Johnston by Greg Martin
As is my want, I was going to begin this column with a few( hopefully) amusing quips about Andrew Sinclair’ s long career as a butcher.
Baron of the Butcher’ s Block, Prince of Pork, Shah of Sausages, King of Cutlets, Maharajah of Meat, Duke of Dicing, etc., etc. But I won’ t— so let’ s get on with the story! Kurrajong Butchery has operated as a butcher’ s shop since Adam was a boy, with Andrew taking ownership in 2009 after acquiring the business from another longserving proprietor, Mick Reberger.
Such has been Andrew’ s success that he now opens only on weekdays— without losing any of his valued customers— giving him more time to focus on another important part of his life. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is sport! He’ s played it, watched it, read about it, and encouraged his sons— Oscar, 19, and Jasper, 17— to get involved. Not that they needed much encouragement!
“ Sport has been part and parcel of my life for as long as I can remember,” Andrew explained.“ I grew up in Forbes where, just like most country towns, everyone was involved in sport.“ I started playing competitively at six— cricket, rugby league, and football— I couldn’ t get enough of it.
“ I was the fifth of seven children— all boys— so it was impossible not to catch the Sinclair sport bug!”
Over the years, Andrew has continued playing cricket in particular— from when he moved to the Big Smoke in 1981 right
through to last summer, when he hung up the whites after helping North Richmond win a Hawkesbury District Cricket Association fifthgrade premiership.
Since day dot, Andrew has been a passionate South Sydney Rabbitohs fan. And, thanks to Jasper’ s talent in both Aussie Rules and cricket, he’ s also developed a fondness for the game and now supports the Sydney Swans.
Andrew modestly claims that Oscar and Jasper have far surpassed his own sporting abilities.
“ Oscar is an opening batsman playing for Warringah in Sydney Grade Cricket, and Jasper has attracted the attention of AFL club scouts.” To say Andrew is proud of his boys is like saying Bradman could bat. Not just for their sporting achievements, but also for the fine young men they’ ve become. Right— back to the man himself! At his father’ s urging, Andrew left Forbes for
Sydney in 1981.“ I’ d just finished my School Certificate and was considering staying on for two more years, but Dad said,‘ It’ s time to move on, son— school’ s not your thing’,” Andrew laughed.
“ So, he packed me off to live with my oldest brother, Peter, a car salesman with a flat in Neutral Bay.
“ Three days after arriving, I saw an advert in the North Shore Times for an apprentice butcher.
“ Early in the interview, the owner, Kevin Whale, asked me where I was from. When I said‘ Forbes’, he asked if I knew an old mate of his—‘ Baldy’ Condon. I replied that he was our next-
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6 ISSUE 179 // APRIL 2025 theindependentmagazine. com. au THE HAWKESBURY INDEPENDENT