Elsie Lange
Community consultation has wrapped and the results are in: pavilion number three at Eric Boardman Reserve will be named after the late Sunbury Kangaroos president Allan Walters.
At a meeting on Monday, August 22, council voted to accept the proposed name change and put it forward to the Registrar of Geographic Names for consideration and approval.
Feedback received by council during the consultation period was unanimously in agreement about renaming the pavilion after Mr Walters.
Councillor Jack Medcraft said it was one of the saddest days in Sunbury’s history when Mr Walters was killed in an industrial accident last year.
“The ramifications of this have been felt by a lot of people in town, and by having the new building the new building opened just recently… it highlighted years and years of work and lobbying by Allan to get something like this built,” Cr Medcraft said.
“I’m only sad that he never got to actually see how good the building was when it was finished, that’s the sad part.
“But we’ll have his name up there forever and a day, and everyone will know who Allan Walters was.”
In their submissions to council, residents outlined why they agreed the pavilion should be named after Mr Walters.
“Allan was a stalwart of community sport in Sunbury, and this would be a well-deserved memorial to his legacy,” one resident wrote.
“Allan is the reason Sunbury Kangaroos football club is the club it is today. He provided so much to the club, initiating a women’s football program which now has two teams for the first time ever,” another wrote.
The Kangaroos described their “wholehearted” support for the name change in a submission too.
“Allan was a life member of [the Kangaroos] and his contribution to our club, as well as the senior club, was immeasurable,” the submission said.
“Naming the pavilion in Allan’s name would be a lovely way to honour his memory, as well as educating future members of our club of the significant contribution he made to it.”
