Harry lives on through Yakkerboo

By Danielle Galvin
ONE of Yakkerboo’s founding fathers, Harry James, passed away in August last year but the festival he helped to create is still a success today.
The Nar Nar Goon North war veteran made the original Yakkerboo with Norman Lemin. His wife Betty was also instrumental in the design of the mythical creature.
Pakenham stalwart Graham Treloar said he believed Mr James was one of the inaugural members of the committee.
“Harry and his wife Betty were very active,” he said.
“They built an outline of the Yakkerboo and took it down to Moomba in about 1979, then he and Norman Lemin built it.”
Betty arranged for students in the shire to make paper mache scales for Mr Yakkerboo’s skin and sign the back of them, then attached them to the creature.
In 1995, Yakkerboo was set on fire and damaged. The committee organised fibreglass to be put on it to restore Pakenham’s favourite bunyip.
“I probably knew him (Mr James) before Yakkerboo,” Mr Treloar said.
“I’ve been a local barber here for 51 years and Harry was a customer of mine.”
Mr James was also well known around Nar Nar Goon North and Nar Nar Goon and in particular for his involvement in the hall on the Bessie Creek and Dore roads corner.
“He was an old builder, I think he was probably retired when he came to Pakenham and they were very involved with the hall,” Mr Treloar said.
Mr James passed away on August 27 last year, aged 91 years. For more on the Yakkerboo Festival, see pages 24-27.