Architect with a passion for giving back to the community
A large number of mourners attended the Memorial Service at Mary Immaculate Church in Ivanhoe for architect Max Chester.
Max was born on February 28, 1933, to David and Rose Chester, the youngest of three children. His father died when Max was two years old, leaving his mother to work in factories to give him and his two sisters an education. At 14 Max worked at the Victoria Market to help his mother pay the bills and put food on the table.
In his early years, the family lived near Melbourne University, and Max attended University High School. He had always dreamed of being an architect, but that seemed only for the privileged.
He vividly recalled his sergeant pulling him out of line during National Service at Puckapunyal to notify him that he had received a Commonwealth Government Scholarship to study Architecture at Melbourne University.
The university brought about a dramatic change in his life and outlook, an opportunity rich in colour and lifetime involvement. His association with the university continued up until his death, lecturing graduating students.
More recently, he worked with the Centre for Islamic Studies, which established a committee under his chairmanship to equip young people of the Islamic faith with skills to integrate them into the broader community and the Australian way of life.
It was shortly after graduating that he met Elaine Turner from Warrnambool. He saw her on a tram, and after getting off, asked her on a date. Despite an initial knock-back, Max persisted and was eventually successful.
Max married Elaine in 1961 and took her to Eaglemont Hill promising her that one day they would live there. It was a special place to Max as it was subdivided by Walter Burley Griffin about whom he had written his university thesis.
Max converted to Catholicism, and so began his lifelong association with the church and Catholic education.
Four years after graduation, when the architectural firm he was working for folded, he started his own practice. It was not always easy. Sometimes Max had only weeks' work left. When a job finally came in, the family would celebrate by going to their favourite restaurant, Genevieve in Faraday Street, Carlton next to the old theatre, for an Italian meal.
The architectural practice was mostly focused on schools, homes for the elderly and churches. He designed about 200 Catholic school projects, nine Catholic churches and four mosques. His work also included major hotels and several war memorials.
Much of his early work was in the developing western suburbs of Melbourne, helping many new migrants to our country.
Max often travelled overseas in his early days, to gain a broader knowledge for his designs. He was the first architect to bring an open-plan approach to schools in Australia.
From his earliest days, Max was involved in community affairs. He was vice-president of the Melbourne Junior Chamber of Commerce in 1963, then in 1968 joined Rotary, which would remain his great community passion. He received a Paul Harris Fellowship in 1997 and held every office including president of the Heidelberg Club.
This was his 50th year in Rotary where he made lifelong friends, such as local publican Tom Payne.
Max Chester was a councillor at the City of Heidelberg, the honorary architect for the Fitzroy Football Club, a member of the Commonwealth Schools Commission, and a member of the Heritage Council of Victoria, among many other roles.
In 2000, Max received an Order of Australia for services to Rotary, architecture and education, and was the secretary of the Order of Australia Victoria Branch for about four years. He was proud to have nominated some 36 successful candidates for Order of Australia awards – everything from school principals to test cricketers, professors, ministers of religion and a publican.
It was fitting that Max should spend his last days at the Olivia Newton-John Centre at the Austin Hospital, as he sat on the hospital's board from 1968 to 1982 and was made a Life Governor in 1970.
Max was also involved in politics, being a member of the Liberal Party since 1968. His committee organised the election of his friend, the late Vin Heffernan – subsequently Minister for Small Business – to the seat of Ivanhoe.
Max's other interests included military history, visiting many of Australia's overseas memorials, classical music, reading, and up until he was hospitalised – running every day of his life with his beloved golden retriever Alex in the parks of Heidelberg.
Max is survived by his wife, Elaine, and three children, Craig, an architect, Matthew, a pharmacist in Ballarat, and Leigh, a teacher in Ivanhoe; and four grandchildren.