Stephen William Fox Martin

From The Orange Wiki

Stephen William Fox Martin was a proud citizen of Orange who served his community and sponsored a variety of local causes. Born in Corowa in 1881 he studied pharmacy and by early 1904 had moved to Orange and opened his own dispensary. Fox, as he became known, operated the popular Federal Pharmacy in Summer Street for more than forty years.

Fox immersed himself in the town’s sporting and social life. He became a financial supporter of the Orange District Hospital, the Cricket Club and the Volunteer Rifle Club. He was a member of the Returned Soldiers' League, the Orange Jockey Club, the Bowling Club, the Advance Orange movement, the OP Club and the Orange Eisteddfod. He also served as a vestryman at Holy Trinity Church Orange.

In May 1918 Fox enlisted in WWI. He embarked with the Staff Sergeant Dispensers of the Army Medical Corps in September 1918 and arrived in London on 14 November 1918, just three days after peace was declared.

A founding member of the Orange Rotary Club, Fox was elected president in 1936, and in March 1938 was appointed governor-elect of the 76th district of Rotary in New South Wales, an area encompassing Sydney and 24 country towns. He represented the district at the 29th Annual Rotary convention in San Francisco in June that year.

Fox Martin retired in April 1945 and died in September 1951, aged 72 years. In 1954 Martin’s widow, Olla (nee Hansen) donated a birdbath to Cook Park in memory of her late husband. The birdbath is located adjacent to the aviary and features a frog.