John Brodel at the Werribee train station. 36719 Picture: DAMJAN JANEVSKI
By XAVIER SMERDON
WYNDHAM has lost one of its hardest working and most passionate activists.
John Brodel, the founder and most outspoken member of Wyndham Heritage Recovery, passed away last Tuesday from a heart attack.
Mr Brodel was well known for his work trying to protect many of Wyndham’s oldest assets.
Fellow Wyndham Heritage Recovery member and “partner in crime”, Yvonne Epema, told Star that Mr Brodel’s hard work would never be forgotten.
“It’s not just our group’s loss, he did so much for his community,” Ms Epema said.
“He fought every day for Wyndham and the people of Wyndham because he knew they deserved better.”
Mr Brodel was perhaps best known to most residents for his tireless fight to try and save Davis House in Watton St from demolition and for his work in getting the Werribee Train Station refurbished.
“He would always say ‘there is room in Werribee, we don’t have to lose everything to developments’,” Ms Epema said.
“He believed in what he fought for. We’re going to keep it going for him.
“I’m even more passionate than I was before because I know what he wanted at the end of it.”
According to Ms Epema, Mr Brodel’s ultimate vision was to see a heritage precinct established in Wyndham.
Mr Brodel was also known for saying exactly what he thought, and he was not afraid of holding Wyndham Council to account.
Ms Epema recalled just over a year ago when he crawled around on his hands and knees with a measuring tape to prove to the council that they had the wrong measurements on record.
