The city of Chattanooga in Tennessee, United States, is recognised internationally as an inspiration for the 1940s Glenn Miller big band standard 'Chattanooga Choo Choo.'
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It is also the birthplace of one of Bathurst's 2020 Living Legend inductees: Dr Martha Gelin, who has made an invaluable regional contribution to not only the arts, but the health and museum sectors as well.
Dr Gelin moved to Bathurst from Tasmania in 1984 and four years later, became the Central West's first HIV/AIDS co-ordinator.
It was a role that Dr Gelin recalls as a natural fit for her diverse background in sex education and human services.
"There were 16 health regions in NSW in those days, and each region got their own HIV co-ordinator," she said.
"My goal was to train the health system to handle HIV cases, rather than have just one specialist person for the region.
"Not unlike the present COVID-19 situation, we were dealing with a new viral pandemic that crossed from animals to humans and dominated media coverage."
Dr Gelin said the management of HIV/AIDS in the Central West required an 'outside the box' approach to reduce the level of fear surrounding the pandemic.
"I went to all local newspapers and radio stations to provide workshops on HIV/AIDS in order to help enhance the nature of reporting the pandemic to the wider community," she said.
"The radio announcers learned how to say 'penis' and 'vagina' on air, which was unheard of in those days, but the local media were terrific at reporting the pandemic accurately."
"We also developed workshops to teach people how to protect themselves, whether they were garbage collectors, police officers, health care workers or school teachers."
After stepping down from the role in 1995, Dr Gelin reinvigorated her childhood interest in fossils to become the first volunteer tour guide for the Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum, which opened in 2004.
Dr Gelin played a key role in preparing Professor Warren Somerville's namesake collection for display in the years leading up to the museum's opening.
"The collection was initially held at the Australian Museum in Sydney and in my excitement, I approached the museum's manager about wanting to volunteer at the Fossil and Mineral Museum before it had even opened," she said.
"I was put in touch with Warren, and he personally trained the museum's first bunch of volunteers."
Dr Gelin has volunteered at the museum ever since, and said the museum sector plays a vital role in facilitating local education and heritage.
"It's important for local museums to have volunteers who can help visitors understand what they're observing," she said.
"Bathurst Regional Council's recent move to bring all local museums under the one banner is a positive one, and will only grow with the right people on hand."
Dr Gelin is also a long-standing supporter of the local arts scene, and has been involved with the likes of the Bathurst Panorama Chorus, Mitchell Conservatorium, Bathurst Arts Council, Local Stages, and the Bathurst City and RSL Concert Band in a variety of roles.
"I adore creative and performing arts, and Bathurst has a tremendous depth of talented creatives across all art disciplines," she said.
"Our local arts scene deserves to be cultivated further, and the immense skill of our local musicians, theatre performers, visual artists and filmmakers warrants committed community support."
In all her years of service to Bathurst, Dr Gelin has had one constant companion by her side: her husband of 59 years and fellow Living Legend [2015] inductee, Ben Gelin.
She has one word to describe their relationship: 'enduring.'
"Ben and I first met at the University of Pennsylvania in a elective class called 'Sociology of the Family' and had we not taken that class, we probably never would've met," she said.
"We regularly sat in the front row and one day, there happened to be a seat next to Ben.
"I'd missed the last class so I asked Ben if I could borrow his notes, which he agreed to as long I would have coffee with him; we were married six weeks later."
"We come from different backgrounds, but Ben and I share the same values, and despite the difficulties we've faced along the way, we love each other dearly."
Dr Gelin said her Living Legend induction is an 'enormous honour.'