At a Meeting of Council last week (27/01), Council noted and welcomed the naming of Dairy Crescent and Lovett Court in Whirrakee Rise, Maryborough.
The request for new road names is part of the Whirrakee Rise property development and were proposed by the developer to reflect the historical context of the site which was previously the site of a dairy farm owned by the Lovett brothers.
The historical context of the two names is provided below:
Shortly after Captain Charles Lovett returned from the Second World War, having endured three and a half years as a Japanese POW following the fall of Singapore, back to his hometown Camperdown in the Western District, Charles and wife May visited Charles' brother Harry and his wife Martha who had purchased a dairy in Maryborough. What was to be a short stay turned out to be a lifetime commitment to the Maryborough and district community when May and Charles purchased half of the dairy business in 1946.
Charles and Harry (the "Lovett brothers") went on to buy out all the dairies operating in Maryborough and district forming the consolidated business of Maryborough Dairies Pty Ltd in 1953 processing and distributing all the district's milk requirements out of their Argyle Road Factory.
Charles and Harry were forward thinking business people who invested heavily in new technology and business practices that kept their business profitable and up-to-date. Being amongst the first in the state to transition from horse and cart to motor vehicle delivery, introduction of pasteurisation machinery including assembly line production that saw transition from bulk milk to glass bottle unitisation and then homogenisation leading to carton milk containers including the Big M flavoured milk product. This commitment to the future, importantly involved the constant upgrading and skills of their loyal staff, with the Lovett brothers being a preferred employer and respected business people in the community.
May and Charles eventually operating this successful innovative business, when Harry retired in the 1980s, up until 1994 when the business was sold on thus ending almost 50 continuous years of the Lovett brothers processed milk production for the people and businesses of the Maryborough Region.
The land for this development was purchased by the "Lovett brothers" on 7 March 1950 from the Backways, also milkmen, who the brothers had bought out as part of their consolidation of the milk production supply to the Maryborough region. The property title interestingly notes Charles and Harry (Robert Henry) as "Dairymen."
May and Charles held leadership roles and were actively involved in many local organisations including Rotary, Legacy, Red Cross, Maryborough Hospital, State School 404 and Maryborough Technical College, Maryborough Football Club, Maryborough Golf Club, Maryborough Racing Club as well as RSL and Charles 8th Division 2/29th Battalion AIF Association.
Central Goldfields Shire Mayor Cr Chris Meddows-Taylor said the road naming was an opportunity for community celebration.
"A new residential development is always exciting but when we link this with our rich and proud history, which is exactly what has happened here, it is truly a very special occasion.
"Charles and May Lovett together with Harry played a very important part in Maryborough's history which is now a matter of public record and will be preserved for generations to come."
