An upcoming spectator shelter could be named in honour former local athletics stalwart Barry Taylor, with Melton council to begin community consultation.
Raised at the July 28 council meeting, Melton council has received a request to rename a spectator shelter – expected to be completed in September – at Bridge Road Athletic Track to ‘Barry Taylor Shelter’ in commemoration of Melton little athletics stalwart Barry Taylor.
According to council , Mr Taylor – who lived in Melton from 1967 until he died on August 4, 2020 – was a committed member of the Victorian Little Athletics for 48 years.
Melton City Little Athletics Centre committee member David Young, who worked alongside Mr Taylor for many years, said he was passionate and committed to local little athletics.
“That’s basically all he talked about … he had a whole room devoted to all his aths stuff,” Mr Young said.
“It was never his achievement …. it was always about his kids.”
Mr Young said Mr Taylor was 100 per cent youth-focussed, and as a competition schedule manager, was incredibly organised and kept the schedule running like clockwork.
“He was citizen of the year one year… normally at the Djerriwarrh Festival, they have someone judge the floats – and he said ‘No, I don’t want to do that. I want to walk with the kids,” Mr Young said.
He said that the committee at that stage had written letters to council in 2016 to suggest naming the whole centre after him.
Cr Sophie Ramsey said Mr Taylor worked so tirelessly for little athletics for about 50 years.
“We are so grateful for his contribution to the City of Melton … he has touched the lives of so many Melton residents over 50 years,” Cr Ramsey said.
She said that since 2016, there were requests to rename something to honour Mr Taylor, but at that stage, he had not died.
A report to council explained that one of the naming rules for commemorative names is that the person has been deceased for a period of no less than two years
“Thank you so much for your patience. It was always going to be Barry Taylor something – we just didn’t know what it was going to be.”
