Vale Brian Fraser

Members statement

This morning I would like to speak about Brian Fraser, who was born in 1935 on the property at which he would spend a lifetime — Heatherlie in the Tallangatta Valley. Sadly, back in January, Brian passed away peacefully at Heatherlie. Brian always had time for a chat and to provide advice — quite often solicited, sometimes not — on a range of issues faced by farmers and regional communities. His lifetime of knowledge and experience will be sadly missed by a community that benefited enormously from his community spirit and drive.

He was the president of Tallangatta Primary School and Tallangatta High School; he was recognised as a Paul Harris fellow for his work with the Tallangatta Rotary Club; he was with the Country Fire Authority for over 60 years, including more than 20 years as group officer; he was the district Victorian Farmers Federation president; he was the original director with the Australian Wool Network; he chaired a national wild dog summit — and this list only touches on a lot of the things Brian, with his family’s support, was able to achieve for his community. His community service was a family affair, and a lot of us in the chamber know his wife, Mary, well. She was a Towong shire councillor from 1997 until she retired at the recent local government elections, and she was awarded an Order of Australia Medal in 2012.

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