LIFE & STYLE
The Hawkesbury
honours John Miller
by Greg Martin
Hawkesbury City Council , on behalf the district ’ s citizen , have honoured the late , and might I say , great , John Miller , a dynamo of a man who was truly a Son and Servant of the Hawkesbury .
John Miller OAM , passed away in his 91 st year on March 12 , 2021 , and his loss was lamented by all who had the pleasure of crossing his path .
In July of that year , all 12 HCC councillors voted in favour of researching a suitable venue in which to place a memorial to a truly remarkable citizen .
Cr Mary Lyons-Bucket suggested that the memorial site would “ just have to be ” John ’ s favourite place in the Hawkesbury – Streeton Lookout on Terrace Road , Freemans Reach .
All good things come to those who wait , and the wait ended on January 19 .
That ’ s when John ’ s family members , admirers and friends converged on Streeton Lookout to witness the unveiling of a tribute stone , mounted with a plaque listing a few of the great man ’ s contributions to the Hawkesbury . To list them all , you would have to relocate Uluru to the lookout !!
In attendance were John and his beloved wife Beryl ’ s three children , Annette , Ken and Robyn , grandchildren , and great grandchildren .
Others on hand to witness the ceremony were Hawkesbury City Mayor , Sarah McMahon , the State Member for Hawkesbury , Robyn Preston , Federal Member for Macquarie , Susan
... a dynamo of a man who was truly a Son and Servant of the Hawkesbury .
Templeman and HCC councillors .
Sadly , due to ill health , John ’ s “ rock ”, 91-year-old Beryl , was unable to attend the gathering due to ill health and remained at her home in United Care at North Richmond .
In 2018 , John was a proud recipient of an Order of Australia Medal “ for service to the community of the Hawkesbury ”. John always said that half of the medal belonged to Beryl !
John Miller ‘ s energy was astonishing - his community service knew no bounds .
- Researched and recorded our history as a long-time member of Hawkesbury Historical Society .
- Served 10 years as chief warden for Hawkesbury State Emergency Services .
- Served for 20 years as honorary communications officer for Hawkesbury Nepean Flood Mitigation Action Committee . - Organised the popular Windsor
Ghost Walks ( Boo !).
- Helped establish an early flood warning network from Robertson to Wisemans Ferry .
- Established a tour guide service and later trained young folk to become guides for National Parks Service during which training they developed an understanding of European and Aboriginal heritage in the Hawkesbury .
- Established a community group to lobby the State Government to raise the height of the Warragamba Dam wall to prevent major flooding down river in the Nepean and Hawkesbury .
- Lobbied strongly for the construction of a Centre for Excellence in aged and dementia care and respite accommodation for our district ’ s ageing population .
- Produced a magnificent DVD on the history of the Hawkesbury .
- Raised funds for a Boer War Memorial in Canberra .
- Instigated the erection of a plinth to honour McGraths Hill-born nurse , Sister Julia Bligh , who was an “ angel of mercy ” to soldiers during the Boer War and World War I . John Miller , thanks for the memories .
So many memories .
John and Beryl Miller ’ s extended family were honoured by the respect shown to their forebears and were delighted to pose for the birdie behind the tribute stone . Photo : Kathryn Johnston .
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THE HAWKESBURY INDEPENDENT theindependentmagazine . com . au ISSUE 165 // FEBRUARY 2024 15