General News
7 July, 2022
Terry Treloar steps back after two decades on the job
After more than two decades in the role, well-known local Terry Treloar is marking his final day as sexton of the Maryborough Cemetery today. Starting in the role in 1999, Mr Treloar has managed the cemetery grounds for 23 years, slowly but steadily...
After more than two decades in the role, well-known local Terry Treloar is marking his final day as sexton of the Maryborough Cemetery today.
Starting in the role in 1999, Mr Treloar has managed the cemetery grounds for 23 years, slowly but steadily transforming them into what residents see today.
Admitting that looking after the cemetery grounds was never a career he thought he’d enter, Mr Treloar said it’s work that’s given him a great deal of pride over the years.
“I started here on March 3, 1999 and have been here for 23 years now,” he said.
“Before that I had my own business, Treloar’s Garden Supplies and before that, I worked at the knitting mill for 24 years.
“I remember I was asked if I wanted to work at the cemetery, it’s something I’d never thought about, so I came and had a look.
“I went in for my interview and handed the cemetery trust my resumé and they said they didn’t want it, they said they chose me because they’d asked around about me — I’m well known in Maryborough.
“I never thought I’d be a sexton, I always thought I’d be a truck driver but it’s work I’ve grown to really enjoy.”
Over the past 23 years, Mr Treloar has initiated some significant changes at the cemetery and the way the grounds are maintained.
Mr Treloar oversaw the installation of the Garden of Angels for children buried at the cemetery, completed through the work for the dole program and officially opened by the Victorian Government, and also undertook a project to open the cemetery’s Chinese Garden as a show of respect for Chinese people buried in the cemetery grounds.
Over the years Mr Treloar has also assisted in expanding the cemetery grounds, creating space for new grave sites and also installed a dam and laid pipes throughout the grounds to irrigate gardens and grass.
Mr Treloar said he learnt that to be a successful sexton, you had to become a “jack of all trades”.
“What I’ve enjoyed the most about being sexton is the cemetery trust just let me go and do my own thing, I planned things and did them and the trust was happy with the direction the cemetery grounds went in,” he said.
“You’ve got to be a jack of all trades to do this job, you do everything from mowing, trimming trees, digging graves and building new structures and grave sites.”
Officially retiring today, Mr Treloar said he plans to travel the country with his wife but said he’ll still be keeping an eye on things at the cemetery.
“The plan is to go away and do plenty of travelling, the first trip we’re taking is up to Queensland to see my daughter,” he said.
“I want to travel all of Australia if I can, I’ve been overseas before but haven’t seen enough of Australia.
“I’ll still be hanging around here though, I’ll be watching over the place for sure.”
Maryborough Cemetery Trust member Col Dellavedova congratulated Mr Treloar on his “significant” efforts over the years.
“What you see at the cemetery is a reflection of what Terry has done in the last 23 years,” he said.
“I’ve been on the trust for almost 30 years so I can remember what it was like before Terry started and looking around now, to see what he’s done in that time is significant.”