Greater Shepparton City Council Heritage Advisory Committee new chair George Ferguson, retiring chair Geoff Maynard and secretary Anne Tyson.
Geoff Maynard was a town planner for Ampol Petroleum in 1963, back in the days when a ‘servo’ was built on every corner that could be found.
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“In that time, we went for corner sites and we pulled down a lot of heritage homes,” Mr Maynard said.
The passionate historian laments the loss and has dedicated much of his life to preserving history and places of heritage, including spending the past 14 years on Greater Shepparton City Council’s Heritage Advisory Committee.
“I’ve always been interested in history, particularly railway history,” the co-author of the 1984 book Powelltown said.
While studying architecture at Melbourne Tech Institute, he’d use the public library across the road to search through old newspapers for timber mill and railway information to compile.
In 2001, he and his wife, Jan, moved to a 20-acre farm in Toolamba to grow berries.
But it was the heritage-listed farmhouse — Rosyth, built by one of the Winter (-Irving) family’s stock foremen — on the property that was built in 1910 that most appealed to the couple.
They spent the following two decades restoring it, all the while Mr Maynard was researching the Goulburn Valley Railway network that spanned from Seymour to Tocumwal for another book he’s working on and contributing to the local region’s history.
He has done three three-year stints as chairman of Shepparton’s Heritage Advisory Committee during his 14 years on it, but now he has stepped away from the role and the committee.
“You get to a point you need to look after yourself, getting to meetings, etcetera, takes its toll,” Mr Maynard said.
“From the neck up I’m okay, but I’m falling apart below.”
City of Greater Shepparton Mayor Shane Sali presents retiring Heritage Advisory Committee chair Geoff Maynard with a certificate of service while committee secretary Anne Tyson, Cr Steven Threlfall and the committee’s new chair George Ferguson watch on.
On reflection, he says his most memorable moments with the committee included organising the biennial heritage talks and heritage tours, which showcased the Goulburn Valley’s rich history to the community.
“Lots of new people here don’t realise the history,” Mr Maynard said.
“The Goulburn River used to run through Monash Park, but they relocated the river so they only had to build one bridge and road.”
Mr Maynard has also been compiling history on artist, real estate agent and councillor John Pick, who he says is the one man responsible for the existence of Victoria Park Lake (formerly Cow Swamp).
“Things happen for a reason, that’s what I love about heritage and history,” he said.
Mr Maynard was recognised for his contribution to the Heritage Advisory Committee at Taste of Capri in Mooroopna on December 1, where George Ferguson was also welcomed in as the new chair of the committee.
Mr Maynard praised fellow members for being a hard-working group of historians.
“I think this is one of the most successful committees council has had,” he said.
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