Vale John Maguire

It was a privilege to attend mass at Saint Monica's in Richmond last week to farewell John Maguire, my favourite Hawkesbury farmer. I met John about 15 years ago as a leading figure in Hawkesbury Harvest, which he had helped to found to bring together local growers and producers in the region. He was pivotal in the establishment of the harvest trail, which encouraged visitors to buy at the farm gate and gave agritourism a boost in the Hawkesbury before the word really existed. John was also passionate about food security and the retention of farmlands on Sydney's outskirts. He hosted meetings with past agriculture minister Tony Burke and present minister Julie Collins to share these and many other views.

I delighted in visiting Enniskillen, John's orchard and barn shop in Grose Vale and his market stall at Richmond Good Food Market, never leaving without my arms full of fresh produce and locally made jams and other delights. But, more than anything, I loved talking to John, and hearing of the Georgian home he'd grown up in at Emu Plains and its untimely demolition. I shared his conviction of the importance of maintaining a strong agricultural base in the Hawkesbury. I'll miss him but not half as much as will his wife, Trish; his children, Angela, Lucy, Virginia and Adrian; and his nine grandkids. His influence will live on and he won't be forgotten.