Maitland has never shied away from honouring its famous sons.
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A magnificent bronze statue was erected in honour of Australian boxing champion Les Darcy at King Edward Park in East Maitland in 2000.
The $65 million third Hunter River crossing, a bridge that provides a link between Melbourne Street, East Maitland and Paterson Road, Bolwarra, named in honour of former Maitland historian Harry Boyle in 2010.
Take a drive between the Maitland Hospital roundabout and the Maitland railway station roundabout and you will cross over the Private PZ Trzecinski Bridge – named in honour of Paul Zigmund Trzecinski, or Ziggy as he was known, our city’s only casualty in the Vietnam War.
There’s also Athel D’Ombrain Drive in central Maitland, named in recognition of photographer, optician, naturalist, author, cricketer, pioneer angler, game fisherman and historian Athel D’Ombrain.
Now Maitland RSL sub-branch vice-president Fred Goode has put forward another name for our city to consider for further recognition – Joseph Maxwell.
Most people will not recognise the name of the city’s only Victoria Cross recipient, whose bravery and leadership in an attack on the Beaurevoir-Fonsomme line, near Estrees, in France during World War I, saw him awarded our nation’s highest military honour.
The former Gillieston Public School student, who later worked as an apprentice boilermaker, enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on February 8, 1915.
There has been no major recognition of Mr Maxwell in Maitland and Mr Goode was right when he said that needed to change.
As a city we owe it to Mr Maxwell’s memory to have something of significance named in his honour.