Ninety-one-year-old Allan Roberts, who has lived in the town since World War 2 and was its long-standing postmaster, packed up his unit in the Narira Village community housing facility this week and left to live with his daughter near Nowra.

Mr Roberts said he made the decision due to disagreements with new managers of Narira Village, the Sapphire Coast Tenancy Scheme (SCTS).

However, there were only good memories when 70 people gathered at Cobargo Hotel last week to honour him and his long-term commitment to the community through work, sport and voluntary service.

Mr Roberts was raised on a small farm in Towamba and as a young man served on the Kokoda Trail in Papua New Guinea before returning from the war and settling in Cobargo.

He met and married a local girl, the late Jean Perry, and started working at the post office in 1950.

Over the next 29 years, as postal officer in Cobargo and relieving in positions from Ulladulla to Eden, Mr Roberts arguably got to know more people on the Far South Coast than anybody.

“You simply had to know everyone,” he said.

“People don’t realise that the district in those days, from Quaama to Bermagui, was run out of the Cobargo post office.

“I fell in love with the place because the people were so friendly.

“I also fell madly in love with sport through my involvement in cricket, golf, tennis and football.”

Mr Roberts’ impressive sporting record includes opening the batting in the triple-premiership-winning Far South Coast cricket side, winning a number of local tennis premierships and being a long-term patron of the South Coast Golf Association.

Once, on his way to a century at Bowral Oval, legend has it that he broke a standing record of Sir Donald Bradman’s.

“Bradman’s old house was at square leg to me and the slow bowler came on,” Mr Roberts said.

“Well I hooked him for six into Bradman’s garden, and when they brought the ball back they said there was a plaque which marked a shot of Bradman’s and mine was about 40 yards past that.

“They were great days; the friends you make through sport are lifelong friends.”

Bermagui’s Clyde Watts has known Mr Roberts “all his life” and said he would equally be remembered for his outstanding commitment to the community.

“Allan was a great sportsman and a great fisherman, but he was also a great townsperson,” Mr Watts said.

“He was president of the original committee of the Narira Village long before he lived there, completely voluntarily, and he did a lot of the mowing and repair work around the place. He’d do just about anything for anybody.”

Narira Village was established on donated land in 1981 and includes 10 units, eight of which were paid for with funds raised by the voluntary committee.

Under the committee’s management, the facility provided affordable housing to its mainly retiree population.

However, in July this year, Bega Valley Shire Council contracted SCTS to take over management of the village, citing concerns about maintenance, administration and accountability.

The council’s community services manager, Simon Schweitzer, said at the time the change would be a positive one that might involve “slight changes” to rent.

However, Mr Roberts, president of the committee from 1981-1991 and resident for the past four years, said these assurances had proven false.

“Everything used to run smoothly with the committee, there was never any trouble,” he said.

“I used to pay $45 a week and, when the tenancy scheme took over, straight away it went up to $120 a week.

“Then they came around asking me to sign and be means-tested. I refused on principle.

“I got a bill for outstanding rent of $400 and a letter telling me I had to be out by the middle of September.”

Mr Roberts said the stress of the past six months had taken its toll and he had made the decision to leave rather than fight the order.

“I still do all my own cooking and cleaning and I’ve always been a good sleeper, then suddenly I wasn’t sleeping at night,” he said.

“It really started to affect my health.”

Various matters regarding the village are still being dealt with by his solicitor, but Mr Roberts is saying good bye to Cobargo this week.

“It’s very sad and it’s hard to leave old friends because I wouldn’t be leaving if not for that,” he said

“But who knows, it might be all the better for me.”

SCTS chief executive officer Sue Ogier said rental calculations for tenants were based on a percentage of their income, using the scheme’s standard community housing rental policy.

Ms Ogier said she was unable to discuss any individual housing issues due to privacy matters.