IT’S BEEN a shock to the system and to all of Freo to lose one of the greatest of greats – our wonderfully intriguing, super talented, creative and beautifully quirky friend of Freo and beyond – Horatio T Birdbath – who made his mark on our village and so many hearts, who will always be remembered and revered! 

My heart included, since I was a 6-year-old kid who used to run out of the Parky Pub mid-practicing Chopsticks or Greensleaves on the piano – as soon as I heard him pull up on his Enfield. 

• Horatio Thunder Birdbath: 1953 – 2026

The pub where my Mum worked across from the house where I spent half my childhood growing up in the Hills.

Horatio, with his little leather-clad doggie Mulla on his lap, would pull out of his side cart his art supplies, a fold-up table and a gramophone that played oldy worldy music. 

I’d race over excitedly and yap away at him as he did that ignore me thing really well, with a slight smile on his dial as he intricately drew the character building which was his muse for some time – the pub – while I vied for his attention. 

He gave me little back but occasional words of quirky wisdom with a sweet, uncle style grin.

Not too dissimilar to years later in my in my late teens when I landed in Freo, working at Ginos and he’d be down the side painting his world famous Ginos mural “Horatio’s Wall” and during break I’d go out and yap at him again just like when I was a kid, but this time much more in awe and mad respect of his creative genius/excellence. 

Occasionally he’d tell me to bugger off back to work and stop interrupting him, but I didn’t listen to him 

The psychedelic and colourful artworks of his that popped up on bollards all around Freo still put a smile on my dial every time I clock one and proudly tell any friends new to Freo all about my favourite Fruncle (friend-uncle) who we would often unexpectedly bump into an hour or two later on our little Freo tour.

Fast forward to several years later Horatio came and stayed in Margaret River with me at my shop Saharan Daze for a few weeks or so. 

Connections

Turns out he was also friends with another creative legend who’s since passed too – dear Kent LeGrand – the one armed glass blower who I learnt to glass blow with years before while I was dating a glass blower called Peter Reynolds. 

Oh the creative connections and memories.

After I packed up shop in Margs and made my way back to Freo to set up my third shop Featherhorn – Horatio became a daily visitor (not to see me – so he’d say – but to hang out with my dogs!) and he soon became their shop dogs – ‘D’uncle – Doggie uncle!

I’d make him a cuppa and he’d sit outside with them both on his lap, enticing curious passers by in to see what this quirky shop with that quirky human outside sipping Moroccan Mint tea was all about.

I even put him in a Featherhorn dress or few and shuffled him onto the catwalk during many events I had outside the shop that saw AmouraBrenda Miller – our world famous belly dancer – stop traffic on the streets of Freo with her beautiful dance troops!

• A younger Horatio and his dog Mulla.  Photos courtesy Freya Cheffers

At FOMO where I had a business – Flamingo Freo Fiesta – Horatio would come and hang out, I’d sling him some lamb tajine and cous cous – his fave, and he would take seat comfortably on the throne I had scored from our fab friend – Champagne Jane at next to nothing price, the electric keyboard played by some kid next to him or some drop in excellent muso and right there was Freo at its many finest moments – as was every time Horatio stepped foot in the centre, or fished off the sidewalk out of the drain – amusing passers by during the street or buskers’ festivals. 

One of my funniest and best memories of HTB was him coming into my restaurant dressed as a pilot – looking suspiciously Middle Eastern, with his scraggly beard and a mysterious air of all kinds of ethnic backgrounds, exclaiming he’d “just been to the airport and wandered around for a couple of hours ‘just for fun’ and did that cheeky laugh that meant he’d been causing mischief and mayhem. 

That mischievous look on his face and the cheeky laugh that I’d grown up knowing and understanding exactly what his motive was. “Pure self entertainment”

Witty

Such a funny, witty, clever and unique bugger, I already miss him so much.

And my dear Fr-uncle (friend uncle) I wish I’d stoped and pulled over when I saw you at the bus stop on Thursday so I could have given you a lift and had a bit of quality time together which I always have loved especially our quirky conversations, and you could have shown me your latest treasure find at an op shop such as some beautiful vintage suit, top hat or wild sunnies, but it was too hard to stop in the traffic on the main strip there and my van doesn’t have a horn so I couldn’t get your attention but I know you won’t be giving a shit – you’ll be sitting upon your kingly throne up there in the heavens or Valhalla with Mumma and Woody who both loved you too, smiling down at us mere mortals – lording it up like you deserve. 

Thank you for being in my life and influencing me greatly in the art of thinking outside the square and never ever being boxed into the restraints of whatever normal means and looks like! 

You’ve been an inspiration to so many, my greatest muse, and friend and a wonderful Fr-uncle and Dog-Uncle and you’re already sorely missed. 

It’s time for a statue of our wonderful Horatio T Birdbath and a festival in his honour – long overdue.

by FREYA CHEFFERS