Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

DAVID ANDARY OBE Fruit-growing industry leader

Born: December 11, 1924, Lebanon
Died: February 27, 2022, Beaumont

DAVID Andary was a captain of the Riverland fruit industry, an Australian World War II veteran and a lawn bowls club champion.


Five-year-old David arrived in South Australia with his mother, Latifa, and sister Sheila in 1930, having travelled from Lebanon.

 They were reunited with David’s father, Solomon, who was running a store in Berri.


A keen student, David completed his leaving certificate riding his bike from Berri to Renmark and back daily to attend school.

 In 1943, he was offered a place to study medicine at the University of Adelaide the following year.


In the meantime, he enlisted in the RAAF as a medical orderly in the 3rd air force Construction Squadron and went on to serve his adopted country for three-and-a-half years in New Guinea, the Philippines and Indonesia.


In 2015, aged 90, he was one of seven veterans invited by the Australian Government to travel to Papua New Guinea for the 70th anniversary of Victory in the Pacific.


He never took his place in medical school. Instead, at the end of the war, he returned to the Riverland to work with his father on the fruit property.


In 1948, on a trip to Lebanon, he met, courted and married Wahiba and brought her back to Berri.


He joined his first fruit industry committee in 1953 at the encouragement of his father and in seven years was instrumental in establishing the cannery co-operative.

Through his initiative, Berri Fruit Juices Co-operative also came into being in 1961. He was the inaugural chair of both.


The co-operative philosophy, as practised on the river, illustrated the truth of his philosophy of helping others.


David held some of the highest positions in numerous other organisations, including Berri Co-operative Packing Union, Riv-Sam, which was at one time the largest exporter of Australian citrus, the Australian Dried Fruits Association, Nisshin-Berri and Murray River Holdings.


Travelling to more than 50 countries on every continent and countless cities, his commitment to the co-operative movement, and in the support of his fellow growers, led him on many trade missions to secure sales and new markets.


In 1978, he was appointed an Officer in the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to the fruit industry.


David and Wahiba were supporters of the local Lebanese community, helping to build the Druze foundations in the Riverland and Adelaide.


After retiring to Adelaide, David joined the Beaumont Bowling Club.

 He was a club champion, past president and life member and, allegedly, bought his home on Devereux Rd because it was opposite the club.


He is survived by sister Sheila, brother Dean, sons William and Neil, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Adelaide Advertiser Obituaries
21st May 2022