Nyngan's Roy Davis has been remembered for his love of jacarandas

Roy Davis died in 2017 at age 97 and is survived by his wife Judy Davis, 92, who remembers her husband as a “good father”. 

During their time in Nyngan, they were state ballroom dancing champions and owners of a corner shop. 

“They were quite the identity,” Bogan Shire Council’s Abigail McLaughlin said.

Mrs Davis said her and Roy were married for 67 years.

“He was just a very ordinary sort of man, he just loved gardens,” Mrs Davis said.

After moving across the state, they chose Nyngan to spend the rest of their lives.

“Everywhere we went he would start up a garden and new lawn sort of thing,” Mrs Davis said.

“When we came to Nyngan, our house backs onto the school play ground and without asking the priest or nuns, he went ahead and dug about 14 holes, which was hard work I thought, and he put the row of jacarandas in the school yard.”

Mrs Davis said she used to have to work at their shop until after midday because Roy would always be watering his jacarandas.

“Things went on, we retired and he thought he’d put more jacarandas in the front of the house,” Mrs Davis said.

She said she was honoured when the plaque was dedicated to Roy and his jacarandas.

“He would have just been so happy with that,” Mrs Davis said.

“It was a lovely little crowd, I thought nobody would be there. 

“He was a damned good father and husband.”

Bogan Shire Council mayor Ray Donald unveiled the plaque with Mrs Davis on Thursday. 

Cr Donald said Mr Davis had been a long-time local friend. 

He said the Bogan Shire Council supported the plaque and and the continued care of the trees. 

“The plaque was just in memory of Roy’s efforts to beautify a section of Bogan Street in between Mudal Street and Tabratong Street,” Cr Donald said.

“He was a very community minded good citizen, very keen to establish these trees outside his home along footpath … fortunately he lived long enough to see the ones he planted started to grow well,” Cr Donald said.

“The memorial was very much in appreciation for what he’d done.”

He said Roy was a “respected community-minded person”.

“Judy [Roy’s wife] was very appreciative of the memorial being put up and it’s nice that she’s able to see the appreciation from the shire and community for his efforts,” Cr Donald said. 

Mrs Davis said while their children couldn’t attend the event, they were proud of their father.

Mrs Davis spoke to the crowd at the memorial recounting a touching moment from her son's eulogy at his father’s funeral.

“My son said, ‘Dad made two good things in his life, first he married mum’ which I thought that was the most wonderful compliment you could get, and then my son said ‘secondly, he packed us all up and took us to Nyngan’,” Mrs Davis said.

“I thought that was so lovely.”

Ms Davis said she wasn’t sure what drew her husband to jacarandas or what drove him to plant them everywhere he could, he just “loved flowers”. 

She said Roy was remembered for his character as well as his jacarandas.

“He was just a good father and husband.”