Man of many talents Col leaves legacy of kindness
TO Byron Bay locals he was a quiet man with an obsession for cycling and a keen eye for history.
But to his family, the late Colin Hadwell (Col to his mates) was much more.
An amateur a poet, painter and ukulele player, the 70year-old former Byron Shire Council town planner wasted no time in retirement with wife Anne Marie.
Having cycled across Germany twice and regularly ridden for charity down the east coast of Australia, Mr Hadwell had more than a decade’s experience on two wheels.
So police were left baffled when he was found critically injured on the side of Bangalow Rd about 12.30pm on Monday while on a solo training session at Byron Bay that his family said he had ridden hundreds of times.
“We haven’t been told of the final reason ... they’re debating over a pothole or whether a car was involved,” daughter Lara Hadwell said.
“(We are) shocked ... (He was the) fittest 70-year-old you’ve ever seen. (Cycling) was an obsession. I think he had about 20 bikes.
“He’s done bike tours around Germany twice, he’s done New Zealand, he’s done I think every charity bike ride from Cairns south down to near Taree.”
Ms Hadwell, 31, said her family were “extremely” close and were heartbroken when her father died in hospital this week as a result of his injuries.
Yet, the devastated daughter said there was no doubt her father had left his legacy.
Mr Hadwell was credited with a book of poetry called The first bunch of ballads from Byron Bay and designed the stained glass windows of the Byron Bay Surf Life Saving Club and the RSL.
“He also wrote a song ... called When Northerly Blows,” Ms Hadwell said.
“He knows everything – the historian club would ring dad for information before he reluctantly joined.”
Mr Hadwell four children granddaughters.
Ballina crash unit’s Senior Constable Mark Fogarty said the circumstances leading up to the crash were a mystery.
“There’s no overt damage to the bicycle … at this stage we’ve got no witnesses,” he said. left behind and eight