A community has come together to mourn the loss of their own one year on.
On a crisp November evening, over 100 people braved the chill and gathered in Riddells Creek to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the death of educator Eleanor Bryant.
Eleanor was fatally struck on 11 November, 2024, when an out-of-control truck ploughed into a kindergarten, also injuring a child.
She is survived by her husband, Tim Bryant, and her two children, Charlie and Tully.
On Tuesday, friends, family and the wider community gathered in Lions Park to remember Eleanor’s legacy and impact.
Mr Bryant thanked the Riddells Creek community for their love and support over the past year.
“We’re all grieving but we need to celebrate her, and what a fitting memory,” he said.
The family’s close friends have established The Eleanor Bryant Memorial Fund in her honour, to provide perpetual memorial scholarships for rural students studying or training in allied health and early childhood fields.
The fund has now raised over $300,000.
“I hope the fund’s legacy lives on for many years, and it’s something Charlie and Tully can share for years to come in honour of the beautiful person Eleanor was,” Mr Bryant said.
The event also featured a tree planting ceremony, and the unveiling of a plaque in Eleanor’s honour in the Riddells Creek Lions Club’s Pollinator Garden.
Mr Bryant has worked closely with the Lions Club and Macedon Ranges council on the project.
“It’ll be great to see this tree grow for years to come in Eleanor’s memory,” he said.
Council chief executive Bernie O’Sullivan attended the service and thanked the community for their continuous support.
“Eleanor was a person of great warmth, generosity, and quiet, but significant, impact,” he said.
“As we gather 12 months on from these events, we pause to reflect, to remember and to honour a life that continues to inspire and resonate.”
The community was invited to lay some soil down, and reflect on her memory in the community she loved.
Details: www.eleanorbryantmemorialfund.com.au/
