Mr Parkin, mayor of the former Buningyong Shire Council, was instrumental in the growth of Mt Clear College and Federation University and for the formation of tourist destination Kryal Castle.

Born in Melbourne on January 4, 1928, to parents Lillian and Roy, Mr Parkin became a keen academic, taking out three scholarships and reading books and absorbing interesting facts.

After leaving school in 1945, his first job was as a technician with PMP (now Telstra) and two years later he took up a position with Social Services.

Despite being raised in Melbourne, the country life was calling Mr Parkin and in 1951 he joined his aunties and uncles to run his mother’s family farm at Bungaree.

Not long after moving to Bungaree, Mr Parkin met the love of his life, Irene Torpy, who lived down the road. They went on to have five children – Mary, Christine, Thomas, Anthony and Kathleen. They also have 11 grandchildren.

Mr Parkin had a strong sense of civic duty, of what was right and wrong and of standing up for the underdog. This led him to become a councillor at the former Buningyong Shire, a title he proudly held for 23 years, including two stints as shire president.

His other civic duties included being on the development committee of Ballarat Institute of Advanced Education (now Federation University), the Bungaree Fire Brigade, Bungaree Hall Committee, a member of the Knights of the Southern Cross and 50 years on the National Civic Council.

He was also instrumental in the planning process for Ballarat Technology Park and Mt Clear College, even persuading the Education Department to buy more land near the college in readiness for future development.

Mr Parkin was farewelled by hundreds of mourners last Friday at St Michael’s Church and Bungaree, the place where he and his wife Irene married more than 60 years ago.