Phillip Hughes died after two days at St Vincent's Hospital, after he suffered a 'catastrophic' injury whilst batting for South Australia in a Sheffield Shield clash against NSW on Tuesday.
Macksville, a small town in NSW's mid north coast, was not only Phillip Hughes's past but also the place he dreamed of for his future.
Many Australian children dream of playing cricket for Australia. With this dream realised, before his death, Phillip already had his future plans in place and hoped to return to Macksville to work on the farm with his treasured father Greg, rearing cattle and growing bananas.
He was regarded by young Macksville locals as a hero and locals say that the young members of the community are struggling to cope with the loss of Phillip Hughes: the young man who encouraged them to work hard for their dreams.