The Wagga community is mourning the death of influential venue manager and owner David ”Harry” Vearing, who died on Wednesday (18 March). Photo: Tilly’s.
The Wagga community has come together to mourn the passing of Tilly’s owner David ”Harry” Vearing.
His family announced his sudden death on Friday morning (20 March), with the news quickly hitting the hearts of the wider community.
Mr Vearing had been a major player in the Wagga nightlife scene for many years, previously managing The Loft above The Victorian Hotel and the Que Bar, now known as Tilly’s.
Tilly’s, the venue that Mr Vearing owned and managed, also took to social media to mark his passing.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the sudden passing of owner Harry Vearing,” the post read.
“Owner, manager, publican, family man & our friend. Harry was the driving force behind Tilly’s; his vast knowledge, experience & leadership have made Tilly’s what it is today!
“Harry supported his staff far beyond a normal boss; if you worked for Harry, you were part of the family. Harry will be missed deeply.
“Our thoughts are with Meagan, Tilly, Ziggy and the family. Tilly’s will open as normal this weekend, as Harry would have wanted.”
Many of Mr Vearing’s staff and performers who worked alongside him have shared tributes acknowledging him as a hard but fair boss who committed much of his life to providing fun and safe spaces for Wagga patrons to enjoy.
Local musician Aaron Oldaker said Mr Vearing would be remembered for helping elevate Wagga’s music scene to what it is today.
“He was a tough guy, but he was also a very fair guy, and he wanted to see everyone do their best,” Mr Oldaker said.
“Wagga is a small town with a thriving music scene, but sometimes it can be a bit clicky, and even though I don’t experience that now, I certainly did when I first started out.
“Harry Vearing gave me a go, and he gave lots of other people a go and really helped shape what it is today.
“He was always willing to give people and ideas a go. I just wish there were more people like him in our community and the world. He’s what you would want in a great Australian man.”
Mr Oldaker said Mr Vearing played a vital role in ensuring performers were looked after during the pandemic and were able to book shows once restrictions began to lift.
“I vividly remember during the COVID era, when everybody forgot that musicians were some of the hardest-done-by people by those very stringent lockdown procedures, Harry did his very best to take care of local musicians,” he said.
“He didn’t stop gigs. He tried to keep things going, and he tried to change circumstances and work with musicians and crowds and the regulations at the time to keep it happening.
“He really tried hard in that respect. And that’s one of the things that is an example of how he was such a great bloke to work with and for.”
