After living a life full of adventure, John 'Garry' Middleton passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his family on July 13, 2021, aged 80.

For everyone that knew Mr Middleton, he lived each and every one of his 80 years to its full potential.

Mr Middleton was born in Stawell in 1940 to Jack and Nellie and was the eldest of five children, brother Alan, sisters Marilyn, Christine and Joan.

His formative years were spent bee farming, looking after sheep, cutting wood or rabbit trapping with his grandfather Jack out at Illawarra.

This time spent with his grandfather formed the basis for his love of the land and planted the seed for him to keep bees and farm later in life.

Mr Middleton also developed a love of reading and throughout his life it was rare for him to not a have his nose in a book.

Each day after school he would stop at the Stawell Library on his way home and borrow a book, reading it as he walked - only to finish the book before he got home.

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He would then run back to the library to borrow another one the next day.

After completing his schooling at Stawell High School, as it was then known, the principal of the time felt that as Mr Middleton was a disruptive influence on his fellow classmates, and he would be better suited to the work force than further study.

In taking that advice, Mr Middleton became an apprentice surveyor to Bazil Marshall, and this apprenticeship was to be the start of a lifetime career.

Through persistence and hard work, initially completing studies by correspondence and later in Melbourne at RMIT and Melbourne University, he became fully qualified in 1967.

His surveying initially started in Colac before returning to Stawell to take on the position of head surveyor for the Victorian Lands Department.

His long career as a surveyor resulted in him completing endless surveys around the western district of Victoria, marking out roads, local subdivisions and new farm allotments from Ararat to Ouyen, and to Kaniva and Edenhope.

Prior to his role as a surveyor, Mr Middleton's first venture into the workforce was selling programs for the Stawell Gift.

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This early work earning pocket over the Easter long weekend would lead to a lifetime association with the Stawell Athletics Club.

Mr Middleton was inducted as a life member of the club and spent 50 years on the committee.

He held the role of president in 1983, handing the winners sash to Dallas O'Brien and utilised his surveying skills to mark out the running tracks and starters marks each year.

In 1964 Mr Middleton's life changed forever, when he first met his future wife Merrilyne Moulton, who was visiting Stawell with Mr Middleton's sister.

The two girls were both studying nursing at the Ballarat Base Hospital and decided to visit Stawell for the weekend and the two hit it off immediately.

After courting for three years, Garry and Merrilyne were married in Ballarat in October of 1967, with the first of their three children arriving in 1969.

Upon returning to Stawell from Colac in 1970, the Middleton's became involved in the Stawell community.

Mr Middleton volunteered and served on many committees including Lady Brookes kindergarten, 502 Primary School, Wests junior football club and later the Warriors junior football club.

This generous spirit continued in life as he volunteered for numerous community groups such as Meals on Wheels, the Stawell Hospital Auxiliary, volunteer driving for the community house, making numerous trips to Ballarat and Melbourne taking people to medical appointments and even mentoring secondary school students.

Throughout their 54 years of married life Garry and Merrilyne loved to travel.

Be it locally around Victoria or further afield around Australia or the world, they had many memorable journeys together.

Although he enjoyed to travel, Garry would often comment that he loved the local area and he often said that he was happiest when he could see the Grampians and the Black Ranges.

It is fitting that he now rests in the Stawell Cemetery, with views of both of these mountain ranges.

Garry is survived by his wife Merrilyne, daughter Sally and sons John and Anthony, their partners Warren, Donna and Cathy and his six grandchildren, Thomas, Sarah, Samuel, Emma, Angus and Claire.

Thank you to the Stawell Historical Society for their assistance with publishing this article.

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