The timber and forest industry has celebrated the life of well-known career forester Peter Hopkinson, who passed away recently, aged 94.

‘Hoppy’ as he was affectionately known served for almost four decades with the NSW Forestry Commission.

Hoppy was well-known in the industry for his service to forestry on the Mid North Coast and in the Northern Rivers and Central West.

VALE: The timber and forestry industry is remembering career forester Peter ‘Hoppy’ Hopkinson.

Continuing the family legacy, Peter’s son Glenn Hopkinson followed in his father’s footsteps.

Glenn, who has worked for Forestry Corporation for the past 28 years, said the family wished to thank Peter’s many friends, who have passed on their thoughts and well wishes.

“Dad was born in Sheffield, Yorkshire and came out to Australia with a mate in 1950 as a Ten Pound Pom,” Glenn said.

“He kept the original newspaper clipping that he saw in England advertising the need for manual labourers to emigrate from the UK to Australia to help the nation grow.

“After working on a sheep station near Warwick, Queensland, Dad settled into a career in forestry with the NSW Forestry Commission,” he said.

Peter was appointed to the position of temporary forester and after he finished his studies became a forester with the NSW Forestry Commission in 1964 where he was placed in charge of surveys at Wauchope.

Peter worked as part of a team surveying roads around the Bellangry - Mt Boss areas in the 1950s and 1960s.

In 1970, Peter transferred to Oberon where he was instrumental in helping to redesign roads in Oberon's pine plantations.

After two years he then relocated to Casino and returned to Wauchope in 1975 where he remained with the Commission until his retirement in 1988.

Peter Hopkinson working for the NSW Forestry Commission.

Testament to the mark that Peter made in forestry, a landmark was named in his honour - Hoppys Lookout, near Yarrowitch.

“Dad came across the vantage point a few years before he retired from forestry,” Glenn said.

“They were putting in a road between Hastings Forest Way and Spokes Mountain Trail, which runs off Racecourse Trail about an hour and half drive from Wauchope when they discovered this spot.

“It is such a scenic vista, looking back to Walcha, taking in the Macleay Valley with views right back to Kempsey.

NSW Forestry Commission campsite in the 1950s.

“It was virgin forest back then and Dad did the preliminary survey work constructing a trail to the area around the lookout.

“His boss John Mills put forward a request to name the lookout after Dad.

“The site was later transferred over to National Parks and Wildlife and the decision was made to keep the name Hoppys Lookout.

“Nowadays there is a good, fixed track up there where you can walk up the hill to enjoy the view.

“We took Dad back to the lookout a few years ago, which was special, and I think we might head up there as a family and celebrate Dad’s life.

“It was a place that Dad loved to visit, sitting and taking in the view,” Glenn said

The late Peter Hopkinson at the lookout named in his honour.