11 additions to Maryborough Walk of Achievers
Poets, an environmentalist, and Olympians are among the 11 new additions to the Maryborough Walk of Achievers.
The Maryborough Walk of Achievers recognises the prominent and famous people who have come from Maryborough, and there are many of them, Fraser Coast Mayor George Seymour said.
“The walk consists of more than 90 brass plaques set into the Wharf Street and Richmond Street footpaths,” he said.
“Each plaque celebrates a different achiever from Maryborough.
“It is a great way to show everyone, particularly young people, that you don’t need to be from a big city to achieve extraordinary things.”
Those honoured include Olympians, inventors, war heroes and others whose endeavours have led to outstanding success and national and worldwide recognition.
The Maryborough Walk of Achievers project started in 1999 and was a long-time dream of Ken Bennett, Grieg Bolderrow, Barbara Hovard and Margaret Wroe.
The first 20 bronze plaques were laid in pavers in Wharf Street on January 26, 2000.
Now more than 90 plaques are placed in Wharf and Richmond streets that celebrate Maryborough’s achievers.
On May 11, recipients and family members will arrive at the historic wharf precinct on board the Mary Ann steam train.
The inductees are:
Marilyn Connell – Wildlife Conservationist regarded as one of Australia's foremost freshwater turtle authorities and has led the Mary River Turtle Conservation Project.
Warren Persal – Businessman and Philanthropist who built thousands of kilometres of high-power transmission lines to places such as Burketown and the Ok Tedi mine in Papua New Guinea and used his financial success to become a generous benefactor to causes throughout the Fraser Coast region.
Dr Neil Baumgart, PhD – Educator in the Developing World, grew up on a cane farm and became a leader in improving education in developing countries.
Emily Bulcock, OBE – Poet and Journalist, who had her first work published in The Queenslander when she was 12 years old, was awarded the O.B.E. in 1964, and after passing in 1969, was called Queensland’s “unofficial poetess laureate.”
Andrew Grant – Olympian 2012, Indoor Volleyball was selected for the Australian Olympic Team to compete in London in 2012.
Grace Hodge – Scholar and Educator, a trailblazer in women’s education, was born in 1888 and attended Sydney University, where she was one of Australia’s first female university graduates. She taught throughout Europe before returning to Maryborough Girls’ High School.
Robert Nioa – Businessman, Nioa Group spent his youth working at his family’s fuel stations and a small gun shop they started in 1973. The shop became the modern company, NIOA Group, which supplies firearms, weapons, and munitions to the Australian and New Zealand defence forces and the law enforcement communities.
Dr Paul Bates, PhD – Professor Emeritus, USQ, is an internationally recognised aviation authority who developed a new Bachelor of Aviation program and a suite of postgraduate aviation programs.
Adrian Pitman – Technical Director, Australian Dept. of Defence joined the RAAF in 1962, aged 16. He joined the Defence Material Organisation (later the Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group) within the Australian Department of Defence. Now a director, the department is responsible for acquiring, managing the supply chain, and sustaining military equipment and material for the Australian Defence Forces.
Julie Brims – World Masters Athlete, began her competitive running career in 2002 at 36 and has become an advocate against ageism and discrimination in women’s athletics. She has broken more than 30 national Australian Masters’ records across multiple divisions and has 27 World Masters Athletics Championships medals.
Grace O’Hanlon – Olympian 2020, Field Hockey is a skilled goalkeeper who trained with the Hockeyroos for two years before relocating to New Zealand, where she won gold at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games and was a member of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Team and the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Team for New Zealand.