Mr Barber, who started work as a journalist at The Inverell Times in 1958, and returned to work here several times, died last week.

His final stint at the Times' Vivian Street office came in the early 1980s when he was editor.

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Mr Barber was born in Wallsend, a western suburb of Newcastle and attended schools of Cardiff Public School, Newcastle Boys' High School, and Quirindi High School.

He left the family home when he was 17-years-old and caught the bus to Inverell.

In Inverell he met newspaper editor David Sommerlad, who gave Mr Barber his first job as a journalist at the Inverell Times.

The action would kickstart a career in the media which spanned almost five decades.

Mr Barber wrote for The Sydney Morning Herald, the Newcastle Morning Herald and the Newcastle Sun.

However, it was the country newspapers which Mr Barber was drawn to; including the Maitland Mercury, the Northern Daily Leader, The Inverell Times and the Port Macquarie News.

As managing editor for in Inverell, Mr Barber helped our masthead achieve more awards for journalism than any other country newspaper in NSW.

In 1980 he was named runner up Australian Journalist of the Year at the Graham Perkins' Memorial Awards.

Mr Barber was appointed as the Port News editor in 1982 and he spent 23 years at that masthead.

In 1984 the Port Macquarie News won five newspaper industry awards.

Mr Barber wrote a newspaper column, called My Word, from 1995 to encourage a greater appreciation of language.

He was a former deputy president of the Country Press Association NSW.

Mr Barber's achievements include being awarded OAM in 2020 Australia Day Honours List, named Port Macquarie-Hastings Senior Citizen of the Year in 2014 and Paul Harris Fellow recognition.

Rotary had been part of Mr Barber's life since he joined the community service organisation in 1971 while in Inverell.

He was a member of the Rotary Club of Inverell East for 11 years before joining the Rotary Club of Port Macquarie in 1982.

The past president of the Rotary Club of Port Macquarie and past district governor of Rotary District 9650 also served on the board of Australian Rotary Health from 2013 to 2016.

Australian Rotary Health is one of the largest independent funding sources of mental health research in the country.

Tanna, an island in Vanuatu, beckoned in 2008 when Mr Barber spent time there with Rotary painting and repairing schools.

Mr Barber was also passionate about basketball and was the founding member of the Inverell Basketball Association.

He was a referee for 50 years, founded the Inverell Sportsman of the Year Awards and was a life member of the Inverell Jaycees (which he also founded).

Mr Barber met the love of his life Glenda in the early 1960s while in Inverell.

The couple recently celebrated their 58th wedding anniversary.

They have four children together; Tracey, Gary, Stephanie and Shane. There are 11 grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

Mr Barber will be farewelled by the community at a public funeral service in Port Macquarie on Wednesday, February 23. The service starts at 11.30am at the Innes Gardens Memorial Park.

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