General News
15 August, 2022
Lions club, community remember Ian Hoyland
The community and Carisbrook Lions Club are mourning the loss of a “good bloke” and mate, Ian Hoyland. Ian died in a two-car collision at Talbot at around 8.15 am last Thursday, after the van he was in collided head-on with a ute along the...
The community and Carisbrook Lions Club are mourning the loss of a “good bloke” and mate, Ian Hoyland.
Ian died in a two-car collision at Talbot at around 8.15 am last Thursday, after the van he was in collided head-on with a ute along the Ballarat-Maryborough Road.
A resident of Avoca, Ian was a member of the Carisbrook Lions Club and worked at Maryborough IGA.
Lions club president and Maryborough IGA store manager Jefferson Hoober described Ian as dedicated to his community.
“Sadly, we’ve lost a good bloke, a good mate, a good volunteer and a good worker,” he said.
“Community was big for him, and keeping busy. He never said no to helping anyone.
“He helped out with the Energy Breakthrough and he was on the Relay for Life committee with us.
“He’s been going down to the Maryborough Soccer Club every Friday to run a barbecue for the junior players to help them get more kids involved.
“It didn’t matter what it was, what time it was, he was here. We’re really in debt to him. We’ve lost a big volunteer for the town.”
Moving to the area just over five years ago, Ian soon became a member of the Carisbrook Lions Club and Mr Hoober said he was dedicated to helping others, and took on responsibility for the Lions’ train, which made appearances at many local events to give rides to children and families.
“He was Mr fix-it for everything in the Lions club, it didn’t matter what it was, he’d say ‘yep I’ll do that’. It was never a no,” he said.
“He decided he was going to be the caretaker of our Lions train and he and (Lions member) Jean Bovell took it all over Victoria, as far Sunbury and Birchip.
“He enjoyed putting smiles on people’s faces.”
Mr Hoober said Ian was also a key helper in getting the Maryborough IGA reopened in March this year after it closed in 2019.
“Ian joined me back at the IGA and became my right hand person who helped me renovate the supermarket before doing the home deliveries for us,” he said.
The latest project Ian was working on for the Lions club, Mr Hoober said, will be completed in his honour.
“The last project he had on the go was with Jean — we recently inherited a 100-kilogram concrete lion we’re going to put at the front of our club hall as a memorial garden for the members we’ve lost,” he said.
“Ian decided he wanted to help with that. We’re going to make sure that happens and his name will be proudly there.”
Mr Hoober said Ian leaves behind a son, daughter-in-law and grand-children.
Mr Hoober’s 31-year-old stepson Luke was also in the van with Ian during the crash on Thursday, and was transported to hospital in Ballarat with a fractured wrist and bone in his shoulder, but has since been discharged from hospital.
The driver of the ute was a 72-year-old Footscray man who was airlifted to The Alfred Hospital.
As of Monday, no further details on the crash had been released.
