City mourns a ‘treasure’

By Shaun Inguanzo
GREATER Dandenong identity and ex-prisoner of war (PoW) Bill Toon has died just days before he and fellow veterans were set to remember Australia’s fallen soldiers on Anzac Day.
Mr Toon died last Friday, aged 86.
He owned a textiles business in Dandenong for 32 years but his broadest influence was felt nationwide when he played a key role in establishing a Hellfire Pass memorial at the Thai-Burma Railway in honour of the 12,000 PoWs and Asian labourers buried along its route.
Mr Toon was born in Leicestershire, England, in 1920 and migrated to Australia at a young age with his parents.
He served with the Australian army in 1940 and saw combat in World War II where he was taken prisoner by opposition forces and spent time in Changi prison in Singapore.
Following a short stint in Changi, Mr Toon worked as a PoW on the infamous Thai-Burma Railway.
He returned to Australia in 1945 and by 1950 moved to Narre Warren with his family.
He began a retail business, Toons Fabrics, which operated prominently in Dandenong for 32 years.
Mr Toon joined the Dandenong Chamber of Commerce in 1956, and in the same year founded the Dandenong Hockey Club, of which he was inaugural president, and later a life member.
In 1958 Mr Toon joined the Ex-POW and Relatives Association which he devoted much time and effort to, was secretary of, and in return was given life membership.
The City of Greater Dandenong declared Mr Toon a ‘Living Treasure’ in 1998, immortalising him in the city’s history.
In 2000, Mr Toon was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia.
During his post-war years he has served in prominent positions with a plethora of community service groups, including Legacy, Rotary, the RSL, and the Jaycees.
He was good mates with Sir Edward ‘Weary’ Dunlop, and was leader of a pilgrimage to scatter part of his old friend’s ashes along the Hellfire Pass.
State RSL president Major-General David McLachlan told Star that Mr Toon was ‘truly one of nature’s gentlemen’.
“Bill was a tremendous stalwart of the RSL and was one of the most gracious people in terms of support to his fellow man, and we will sadly miss him,” he said.
Maj Gen McLachlan said the RSL would in time commemorate Mr Toon because of his significant contribution.
“That will happen, we don’t immediately rush out and do those things, but Bill was a life member at the RSL and I am sure somewhere down the track there will be something to commemorate Bill in our system.
“At the moment our sympathy goes out to the family – and that includes a quite extended family – and we are very conscious of the tremendous work Bill did not only for PoWs but for all veterans in a whole range of areas.”
Mr Toon’s funeral will be held tomorrow (Friday) at 1pm at Dandenong’s Drum Theatre. It will be followed by a private cremation.