Betty Crittendon, a trailblazing community builder from Mt Evelyn, Victoria, proposed two remembrance bench seats for the local Memorial Gardens at a local RSL meeting.
Two custom-made benches featuring the sub-branch inscriptions now proudly sit within the gardens, bringing a welcome resting place and a legacy from this generation to the next.
The Unstoppable Betty
Alongside two husbands who were ex-servicemen, Betty has been a fundraising machine for countless community projects as a member of the Mt Evelyn RSL, for over 40 years and awarded the The Meritorious Service Medal in 2013.
Memorial Garden
One of the projects that has become known as Betty's 'baby' was the creation of a Memorial Garden out of an unused area of land that had become a bit of an eyesore.
Working with RSL members and Council Officers to bring the garden into fruition, Betty saw our memorial bench seats at the Wentworth Military Museum and thought they would finish the Memorial Garden off beautifully.
She asked them for our contact details and got in touch. We were able to provide different design options and discussed how we could personalise the benches so they would be unique to Mt Evelyn.
The RSL decided on the designs, then Betty's next quest was to seek Council approval, along with the now ex-president of the RSL, Roger Boness.
Making the Process Easier
We provided details to support the application selection criteria, like dimensions, materials and manufacturing standards for public health and safety requirements.
Despite some initial roadblocks and a bit of determination, the seats were approved, built and the Council installed them in pride of place within the Memorial Gardens.
It's been on Facebook and they've all said how wonderful it is great it is for the community and how they enjoy using our garden. Mt Evelyn is only a little place and the garden is not all that big, but I call it beautiful.
The Garden That Serves Mt Evelyn
A patch of unused space has now been transformed by a dedicated group of people and one tenacious Betty Crittendon. The Garden is a place of contemplation and somewhere lovely to relax.
The community uses the bench seats as "somewhere for people to come and rest, reflect and also tell their kids about the war and how our people served our country".
The benches are this generation's legacy to the next, lifelong local tributes to honour locals and everyone who served in the Australian Defence Force.
People like Betty are a total inspiration. She had a vision and she took on a project which took two years from start to finish, navigated all the steps which public projects have, and now has achieved her goal. [David Wynes]
If you would like to chat about having custom-made bench seats, we would love to hear from you. Give us a call today.
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