John Landy (former Governor of Victoria) presenting Margaret Hoelter with her Public Service Medal at Government House in 2005.
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Margaret Hoelter (née Brown), a much-loved educator, author and community volunteer, formerly of the Arniston homestead at Colbinabbin and most recently of Echuca, died at her home in Echuca on Monday, October 12. She was 83.
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Born on October 30, 1942 to Frank and Alice Brown, Margaret grew up at Arniston and began her schooling at Wanalta Primary School, a one-room school where she rode a hand-built bike to class.
After two years at Rushworth High School, she boarded at Girton Grammar in Bendigo, where she won the art prize, served as joint boarders’ prefect and matriculated.
When a careers counsellor suggested she might become a receptionist, she set her sights on teaching instead.
She trained at Bendigo Teachers’ College, finishing as dux of her course, and took her first classroom at Gravel Hill Primary School in Bendigo.
On January 9, 1965 she married Clive Hoelter at All Saints Cathedral, Bendigo, on a day that reached nearly 44°C. The couple lived in Horsham, Cobram and Melbourne before settling at Arniston.
Margaret was a devoted mother to Kate and Cameron and a proud grandmother to Lachlan and Sebastian.
Her teaching career made an impact well beyond her own classrooms. While teaching at Stanhope Primary School, she noticed that young children lacked a concrete way to grasp early addition, subtraction and division.
She developed a visual program called ‘The Number Picture’, which was adopted across the region and by the Catholic Education Office in the Bendigo Diocese, then published and used in schools throughout Victoria and interstate.
She served as a regional mathematics consultant and trained teachers until 2016, becoming affectionately known as “the Number Picture Lady”.
Margaret Hoelter.
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She became the first woman principal of Colbinabbin Primary School and later taught at Elmore and Heathcote primary schools.
She went on to earn a Bachelor of Primary Teaching at La Trobe University, where she was again named dux, and published further books for classroom teachers.
In her most significant role, Margaret was appointed interim principal, and then principal, of the newly amalgamated Rushworth P-12 College.
Under her leadership the school won national awards for its literacy initiatives and a drama program for disengaged students, and was extensively rebuilt and refurbished in 1995.
In June 2005 she was presented with her Public Service Medal by Victorian Governor John Landy at Government House in recognition of her contribution to education, particularly in developing leaders and as a principal. Nominated by her colleagues, it was one of her proudest moments. True to form, she was the only recipient dressed in bright colours, prompting the governor to remark, “Thank goodness someone likes to be bright on such a happy occasion.”
In 2009, Margaret and Clive moved to Echuca, where they built a home on the bank of the Campaspe River.
She enjoyed the bowls club, book club, family and friends, and for the last 10 years led the volunteer team at the Anglican Church Op Shop.
She stayed close to her sister Betty and brother-in-law Geoff (dec), and hosted countless Christmases, birthdays and dinner parties. She was a devoted gardener, a keen lawn bowler and adored her cats, Gertie and Shanks.
Her retirement was filled with travel throughout Europe, North America and Asia, including a visit to her ancestral home in the Orkney Islands, and regular trips to New York to visit her son, Cameron. In recent years she completed a memoir of her early life and career.
Margaret is survived by her husband Clive, her children Kate (John) and Cameron (Mardi), grandsons Lachlan and Sebastian, sister Betty, and brother John and his wife, Lynne.
A celebration of life will be held at the Anglican Church, High St, Echuca, on Frida, October 23 at 11am.
Her family would like to give their heartfelt thanks to Margaret’s wonderful community of caring friends and to the incredible team at Echuca Regional Health. Your compassion, kindness and care made such a difference to Margaret and our family.
