Macksville is in mourning.
The small river town on the NSW mid north coast, where Phillip Hughes grew up to become the pride of the community and now the talk of the country, is already saying its collective goodbyes.
Seemingly every shop front in town is paying tribute to the late cricketer ahead of Wednesday’s funeral service at Macksville High School.
From hairdressing salons to century-old service stations and modern-day cafes – well, as modern a cafe in a town of 2500-odd folk can be – are honouring the “retired” batsman.
The tribute outside the local ex-services club, where thousands will gather for Hughes’ wake on Wednesday, said it all.
“Our Mate Phillip,” it said with a picture of Hughes in his cherished Baggy Green, and another with the opener raising his bat to the heavens after, presumably, scoring one of his three tons for Australia.
“In Memory of Phillip. Farewell from Macksville. Always in our heart,” said another.
“We are all teammates now. #63 not out.”
Floral tributes everywhere, hashtags too – #putoutyourbats #408
“Hughesy was a really no-fuss guy and I know he would be looking down at all of this and wondering what the hell’s going on,” said the cricketer’s manager and friend James Henderson.
What’s going on is a whole town is grieving. It has been for a week.
Local barman and well-known sportsman Chris MacDonald, who coached Hughes’ brother Jason in junior rugby league, was at the Nambucca Hotel last Thursday when news filtered through of the 25-year-old’s passing.
“There were only about 10 or 15 of us here and it was deathly silent,” MacDonald said.
MacDonald said Hughes never considered himself famous.
“He’s such a likeable guy. Whenever he comes home, he’s just Phillip Hughes from East Street, Macksville.”
Nambucca Shire Council Mayor, Cr Rhonda Hoban, said Hughes was loved as “a warm, unaffected young man who was a delight to be around”.
“We’re proud of Phillip’s achievements and we will remember him fondly as a favourite son,” she said.
“A lady was telling me only a couple of days ago that she stood in one of the Macksville shops and Phillip was standing next to her and she said: ‘I’ve never stood next to a famous person’.
“And his response was: ‘Who me?'”
More than 5000 mourners are expected for Wednesday’s service and Hoban said 150 volunteers would be on hand to assist.
“Tomorrow the beautiful Nambucca Valley will welcome an unprecedented number of visitors to our community,” she said. “We only wish that it was under different circumstances.
“Tomorrow is going to be a difficult day logistically but, most of all, a terribly difficult day for (parents) Greg and Virginia, (siblings) Jason and Megan and the extended Hughes family, and of course their friends here in Macksville.
“Macksville is a strong and close community. We’re all shocked and saddened by what has happened to Phillip.
“In the days, weeks and months ahead, our community will be there to do whatever we can for Phillip’s family.”
