By CASEY NEILL
STUART Marriner will never get to see the results of his efforts to shut down the Lyndhurst toxic waste dump.
The 95-year-old City of Greater Dandenong Living Treasure and Rat of Tobruk died on 13 October.
But fellow Residents Against Toxic Waste in the South East (RATWISE) member Geraldine Gonsalvez said his actions would “live on in the policy that will, hopefully, eventuate”.
“He really was the environmental watchdog for Dandenong, without any shadow of a doubt,” she said.
“I feel we can do him honour in the policies and in the action we, as a community, take.”
Ms Gonsalvez said Stuart often quoted one sentence that underpinned all his actions – “I would like to see Dandenong as a community that remembers always that we borrow our city from the future”.
“Me and my family are blessed and privileged to have known Stuart,” she said.
“He kept our spirits up, kept our hope up and kept the vision in focus, too.”
RATWISE convened at Stuart and his late wife Jean’s home behind Dandenong High School until he moved to Apollo Bay in 2011.
“We’d finish with a warm cuppa around his kitchen table,” Ms Gonsalvez said.
“He was a real gem.”
RATWISE spokeswoman Thelma Wakelam said Stuart remained a strong, inspiring member until the last.
“I’ve met very few men with the strength of conviction like him. He wasn’t wishy-washy at all, never wavered in his beliefs,” she said.
He remained a steadfast mentor and in-touch with local issues via email after learning to use a computer at age 90.
Stuart was also heavily involved with Dandenong Residents Action Group (DRAG) to clean up the “offensive industry zone” in Dandenong South.
“Stuart was instrumental in seeing many significant changes in industry at that time and ran rings around many officials and industry operators, yet he was respected by all,” Ms Wakelam said.
She said Stuart was once asked how he would be remembered.
“As a pig-headed old coot,” came the good-humoured reply.
EPA Victoria chairwoman Cheryl Batagol said Stuart persistently and consistently worked to improve environmental outcomes.
“He fought for the Dandenong community and he succeeded because he engaged with both business and the EPA, which is why he won the inaugural EPA chairperson’s award,” she said.
At last week’s Monday night meeting, councillor John Kelly said that Stuart and Jean were Dandenong’s heart.
“They were the soul of our community,” Cr Kelly said.
“It’s a sad loss to this city.
“The offensive zone is much cleaner for the work of this one man.
“The EPA – he could run rings around them.”
Stuart was born in the Otway Ranges in 1918 and came to Dandenong with his family in 1959 to access education.
He worked for Southeastern Timber until he retired in 1978.
He became ‘honorary grandfather’ to many children at the Doveton-Hallam Community Centre, a valuable asset to the Dandenong District Benevolent Society and successfully lobbied the council to provide facilities for homeless youths.
Stuart was 21 when he joined the Army and went to the Middle East.
His 7th Supply Unit was responsible for taking ammunition and supplies to troops on the front and he often told how he nearly ran over General de Gaulle in Aleppo in Syria in 1941.
Rats of Tobruk Association Victorian secretary Reg Lawrence said Stuart was one of two surviving members from his unit.
Stuart was the father and father-in-law of John and Chris, Douglas and Margaret, Elizabeth and John, grandfather of Steven, Adrian, Kerry, Justin, Amanda, Carolyn, Katie and Emma, and great-grandfather of nine children.
A funeral service to celebrate Stuart’s life was to be held at the Apollo Bay RSL today (Monday).
