Celebrating 103 Years Of Henri Regnaud

A Lifetime Of A Mauritian Canefarmer's Legacy

Born on 22 October 1922 in Mauritius, Oscar Joseph Henri Regnaud has lived a life defined by courage, hard work, and an enduring sense of community. The eldest son of Noel Henri Regnaud and Marie Oscar Marth Bouchet, Henri was the second of seven children. His father worked as a chief engineer at Bell Ombre Sugar Estate, and his mother often took him to visit his grandmother in town, where he lived for much of his childhood. Henri’s early years were shaped by the rhythms of island life, British colonial influence, and the strict routines of Catholic schooling at College du Saint Esprit, where he was taught by the Christian Brothers.

After finishing school, Henri followed in his father’s footsteps, completing an apprenticeship with him for a year, before joining the army as a gunner during the Second World War, serving from 1942 to 1945. Like many young men of his generation, he longed for new horizons and greater opportunities. Against his father’s wishes, Henri left Mauritius in 1947 aboard La Estancia with five friends, carrying just seven pounds in his pocket. The journey took him through Java, Sumatra, and Singapore before reaching Bowen, Queensland.

Henri’s early days in Australia were far from easy. He worked wherever he could, including loading grain bags in Brisbane, before heading north to Ingham. There, fate led him to Mr Girgenti, a local cane farmer near Victoria Mill, who offered Henri and his friends their first job cutting cane. Ill-prepared for the gruelling work and the tropical heat, they wore their formal shoes from Mauritius, which soon proved no match for the sugar fields.

"He said, 'Boys, you can't wear your shoes because your shoes are squashing the eyes.' I didn't even know what sandshoes were," Henri spoke on working on his first canecutting job.

Despite the challenges, Henri built a life in North Queensland, finding friendship among Australian and Italian locals and embracing his new home. In 1955, he married Muriel, and together they raised four children—a family that would become the foundation of his Australian legacy.

Now, more than 75 years after arriving in Australia, Henri remains a proud member of the Ingham community. His 103rd birthday celebration brought together 40 family members, friends, and neighbours to honour a man whose life has spanned continents and generations. After a morning service at St Patrick's Church surrounded by family, his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Henri reflected on his long life and the love that continues to surround him.

“Now, in my old age, they have time for me. So I must have done something right along the way.”

‍