THERE wouldn’t be too many people in town who have the same passion and commitment to public education and Bathurst’s history and heritage as Iain McPherson.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
For his tireless work in those areas, Mr McPherson was awarded the status of a Living Legend in May this year.
He was shocked to receive the nomination.
“What struck me was that it [Living Legend] was recognising people in the community,” he said.
“Our community is made up of a lot of people just doing their bit.
“I was proud to be recognised for making a contribution to both education and my major involvement in heritage and history.”
His story in Bathurst began in 1969 when he arrived in the city to study teaching at the old Bathurst Teachers’ College.
“I’ve been here for 35 of the past 48 years,” Mr McPherson said.
“I left Bathurst for a while because of my professional life working for the Department of Education. I have always returned to Bathurst and have lived here continuously since 1988.
“I taught all over western NSW: Broken Hill, Gilgandra, Bathurst, Canberra, Bowral, one year in Sydney and I finished at Moree.
“I’ve been very proud of working in quality public education.”
Mr McPherson was the principal of the Carenne School from 1981 to 1985 and the principal of Kelso High School from 1994 to 2000.
For a while, he was the inspector of schools in the Lithgow-Bathurst area.
He said he’s extremely proud of contributing to public education in western NSW and its important role in the community.
He said education brings people together regardless of circumstances.
“We don’t divide people by religion or race or income or circumstances,” he said.
“We just say everyone belongs and everyone has the opportunity to share in a common experience, which has been important in building a cohesive Australia and Bathurst community.”
Mr McPherson first became involved in Bathurst heritage in 1979 and became the chairman of Bathurst and District National Trust in 1982.
It has enabled him to be involved in all sorts of projects in the community.
He said he’s had a life-long interest in heritage and history.
“There’s a moment when action needs to be taken and if action is not taken, we forever have damage [to heritage] and can never return,” he said.
“That’s a really important thing. Too often people regret what has happened and what they really need to do is regret that they didn’t partake in the community and do something about it.”
He is married to Fran White and together they have two children – daughter Sky and son Hamish – and four grandchildren.
He and Fran run a 500-acre farm with cattle, sheep and some hay.
They also have a house in Bathurst.
He and his wife also take trips into outback Australia, enjoying the wonderful wealth of space the inland provides.
Many of Mr McPherson’s projects have been undertaken in close association with his wife.
Together, they helped with the development of the Bathurst Heritage Awards and Bathurst Macquarie Medal.
They have spent time, alongside others, in identifying and protecting Cox’s Road, which played an important part in Bathurst’s bicentenary celebrations.
“A building might be owned by one, but it is observed by thousands of people,” Mr McPherson said.
“We need to find a way that the appreciation of the physical environment is recognised and accommodated.”