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I met Bob Ferris in 1989 on my first night as a sub-editor with The Canberra Times. It was the start of a friendship that lasted for 18 years. But over recent years Bob had gradually moved away from newspaper work and had faced significant issues of money, ability to work and other destabilising influences.

I could have been a better friend. I'm the first to admit that. But we are all facing issues of survival and earning capacity in a difficult world.

But the great thing about Bob is that he didn't measure friendship in terms of what you had to offer. A week ago he rang me and asked if I had any ideas about getting a hospital gurney for Senator Jeannie Ferris, his first wife who was battling cancer. But Jeannie died just three days before Bob.

I was a great mate and didn't call Bob back. But I was going to. I just didn't want to call in the thick of things. Knowing Bob all these years meant that he wouldn't hold it against me.

I think back over the dozens of nights when I went with my young family over to Bobs' place for a barbecue that would run into the early hours, and to enjoy his company, and his food of course.

Bob was first to help out when you were short of cash or in trouble. I had lots of that.

Bob's life was dysfunctional, like mine, but there was a sense of order about it all. He enjoyed boozing with his mates and he had a lot of common sense views of the world that we all shared. I used to enjoy getting out to the Cotter pub when Bob was running the bar, mainly because it meant time together and time well spent.

So what is a fair obit for a friend that has died? I'm not sure I know.

I could have been a better friend while he was alive, and that is something I will carry with me.

But at least we did him some honour when my son and his mates robbed Bob's private stash of cannabis in Stirling. Only Bob could deal with that without it affecting our friendship.

Bob had a very good mind, a great sense of news and I feel a sense of honour that I was one of his mates.

Peter

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