Tribute: There will soon be a memorial service to honour the memory of Eric Montgomery, founder of DECA.
Eric Montgomery, the Shepparton local who turned a struggling societal issue in the Goulburn Valley into one of the country’s most celebrated initiatives, will be commemorated at the place where it all began.
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On Monday, April 22, a public memorial service will be held at DECA Shepparton to celebrate the founder’s achievements.
Before DECA, Mr Montgomery was a Victoria Police officer for 25 years and witnessed the tragedies of road accidents first-hand.
The city was troubled, confronted by the deaths of so many young people on the roads.
It called for action, and Mr Montgomery answered.
In the 1970s, he established the Goulburn Valley Driver Training Complex, now known as the Driver Education Centre of Australia (DECA).
Steering towards safety: Eric Montgomery instructs a Shepparton student on car controls at the Goulburn Valley Driver Training Complex.
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“Shepparton was great with how they got around it, and hundreds of people helped start it up,” daughter Camille Montgomery said.
“He strived to teach (road safety) to the people of the Goulburn Valley and get them to understand the importance of it.”
A pioneering facet of the centre was the Careful Cobber program, arguably one of the community’s most cherished pastimes.
The Careful Cobbers, a set of miniature vehicles with big personalities, were used to introduce primary school-aged children to road safety.
Driving force: The Careful Cobber program championed the cause of road safety in the Goulburn Valley.
Within 30 years, more than 250,000 students across Victoria and southern NSW had gotten behind the wheel, including Charles and Diana, the former Prince and Princess of Wales.
King Charles won’t be at the memorial.
But other notable names are on the guest list, including the Wodonga TAFE chief executives, former DECA employees, Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell, the Shepparton Search and Rescue Squad, SES members, and other emergency service groups.
Ms Montgomery said it’s “been a long time coming” to organise the tribute with the DECA department at Wodonga TAFE.
“It will be two years in August since he passed ... we’ve arranged for a plaque to be put up on the wall of DECA on behalf of Dad,” she said.
It’s a significant day, and one Ms Montgomery encourages the community to support, just as they did with DECA.
“If anyone from the public would like to come out and see Dad being recognised for what he achieved for Shepparton, they’re more than welcome to attend,” she said.
Eric Montgomery's memorial is on Monday, April 22, at 11am, at DECA Shepparton, 145 Wanganui Rd, Shepparton.
In the front seat: Beryl Goodfellow, DECA’s first licensed driving instructor, pictured with founder Eric Montgomery.
