WHEN Swan Hill officially became a city 60 years ago, it was a moment of civic pride and shared celebration.
At the centre of it all stood Mayor Cr Alan Wood, the city’s first mayor to wear the chain of office.
Joyce Wood, mayoress of the then-Mayor Cr Alan Wood said it was a special event.
“It was a great celebration,” Mrs Wood said. “That was the day Alan received the mayoral chain.”
Alan Wood’s journey from local boy to respected leader was shaped by service, both in uniform and in civic life.
Born in Swan Hill on June 18, 1927, to real estate agent Henry Raymond Wood and Irene Elizabeth Faulkner, he served in the Australian Imperial Force during World War II before returning home and joined the family real estate business.
On February 26, 1954, Alan married Mrs Wood, nee Dorothy Joyce Wilkinson.
She said they raised six children in a home they built together.
“We built in ’61, married in ’54, and we’ve been here ever since,” she said.
“The eldest was seven when we moved in; the youngest was born the year after.”
Mrs Wood said her husband always encouraged his children to follow their passions.
“He was a loving husband and a fantastic father,” she said.
“His advice to the children was always, ‘Do what pleases you. Follow your dream, whatever it may be, just do it well.’”
Words to live by, from a man who lived them fully.
Mrs Wood said her husband wasn’t always interested in politics.
“It came on suddenly. He was urged on by close friends,” she said.
“He’d been on the local council for years, even before Swan Hill became a city.
“He was a councillor when it was still a borough, from about 1959 to 1965.”
In 1965, Swan Hill gained city status.
Mr Wood’s mayoral message, published the day after the city was proclaimed, called for “a strong, united effort” to “progress further into the future.”
And progress they did.
“In those days, there was a lot to do,” Mrs Wood said.
“Street making, sewage, infrastructure. It was all growing rapidly.”
Mrs Wood said back then, the mayor received an allowance for expenses, but not wages.
“It was all volunteer work,” she said. “And spouses were more involved.
“It was a partnership. Made life busier, but it was good.”
Mr Wood was also a founding member of the Swan Hill Jaycees, a volunteer organisation that raised money for those in need.
Mrs Wood said everyone pitched in.
“It was all hands on,” she said. “They had working bees to cut firewood and deliver it. Everyone helped.”
In 1973, Mr Wood took that same dedication to a broader stage and was elected as the Liberal Member for Swan Hill in the Victorian Parliament.
He served for a decade, including a term as Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs, followed by a role as Minister for Public Works and Property Services.
But politics never pulled him too far from the people of Swan Hill.
He famously led the charge to save the Melbourne-Swan Hill train service from being axed and stood firm against plans to close Pritchard Street.
Mr Wood retired from State Parliament in 1983 but remained active in public life as a life member of the Victorian State Executive Council.
Even after suffering a stroke in 1996, he continued to be a familiar face around town, riding his scooter through town and chatting with locals.
“He was a real people person,” Mrs Wood said.
“Very warm. He’d go out on his gopher every day and chat to everyone.
“That kept him going for another decade.”
Mrs Wood said no one was ever above or below her husband.
“He’d talk to everyone, from parliamentarians to the night man who collected pans,” she said.
In 2000, Mr Wood lit the cauldron at Riverside Park when the Sydney Olympic Torch Relay passed through Swan Hill, a fitting honour for a man who had dedicated his life to the city.
He passed away on October 3, 2005, at age 78.
Mr Wood was farewelled with a state funeral in Swan Hill, attended by more than 400 people.
The family received a memorial book filled with condolences and tributes from across the state.
Mrs Wood, now 98, still lives in their family home, regularly visited by their six children, Bill, Karen, Marian, Stuart, Robert and Michael, along with their 16 grandchildren and soon-to-be eighth great-grandchild.
One of their daughters, Karen Wood, was recently appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for her contributions to the mining industry and her extensive volunteer work, continuing the family’s legacy of service.
Sixty years since Swan Hill was proclaimed a city, it continues to grow, and the foundation laid by Alan Wood is still remembered.
