July 2016

Farewell Alfred

 

We would like to acknowledge Mr Alfred Date, Australia’s oldest gentleman and keen penguin jumper knitter, who recently passed away peacefully at 110 years of age.
Mr Date was a wonderful contributor to the Knits for Nature program, providing us with many woollen jumpers to protect little penguins in the event of an oil spill - Alfie was still knitting at 108 years young! His care for little penguins saw him become an international sensation in 2015, with his story shared across the world. 
Mr Date was born in North London in 1905, he moved to Australia in 1912 (the ship next to his at the dock was The Titanic) and married in 1926. His favourite invention over the past 100 years was electricity because "it made light and power more accessible to all people" and his advice for the younger generation is "never spurn learning". 
Mr Date learned to knit in 1932 when his sister-in-law taught him how to knit a jumper for his newborn nephew. Alfie said that he always makes sure his penguin jumpers are up to scratch, ‘I like to make it without mistakes and I don't excuse myself for doing it. (But) I think there is an excuse for a person who's gone beyond the normal span of life,' he said.
We feel very privileged to have played a small part in Mr Date’s celebrated and incredibly rich life, and our thoughts are with his family.
Thank you Alfred.

We would like to acknowledge Mr Alfred Date, Australia’s oldest gentleman and keen penguin jumper knitter, who recently passed away peacefully at 110 years of age.

Mr Date was a wonderful contributor to the Knits for Nature program, providing us with many woollen jumpers to protect little penguins in the event of an oil spill - Alfie was still knitting at 108 years young! His care for little penguins saw him become an international sensation in 2015, with his story shared across the world. 

Mr Date was born in North London in 1905, he moved to Australia in 1912 (the ship next to his at the dock was The Titanic) and married in 1926. His favourite invention over the past 100 years was electricity because "it made light and power more accessible to all people" and his advice for the younger generation is "never spurn learning". 

Mr Date learned to knit in 1932 when his sister-in-law taught him how to knit a jumper for his newborn nephew. Alfie said that he always makes sure his penguin jumpers are up to scratch, ‘I like to make it without mistakes and I don't excuse myself for doing it. (But) I think there is an excuse for a person who's gone beyond the normal span of life,' he said.

We feel very privileged to have played a small part in Mr Date’s celebrated and incredibly rich life, and our thoughts are with his family.

Thank you Alfred.