A tribute to the Mackley family often described as a local institution

A combination of old-fashioned but entrepreneurial, they were imaginative, creative people who made their vision a reality and had the courage and tenacity to strive for their outcomes: successful restaurateurs, passionate collectors, and talented artists with personality and character.

Their greatest advertising came through their love for unusual antiques, collectibles, art, and eclectic items combined with the natural gift of hospitality.

Each family member was unique, and combined, they created a remarkable life they shared, as well as with their broad range of friends, clients, and antique community of dealers.

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Evan Mackley was an only child. He was a reluctant student and left school at 14. Still, he became a uniquely talented artist with a natural fascination for interesting objects and those who created them in art, antiques, and collectibles.

A palette knife was one of his favoured tools of choice for his art. He created intense colours and exaggerated and imaginative effects when painting his subjects.

He loved painting Australian scenes that connected with people's lives. Mainly, as these would sell if people liked the subject, including his Mac's The Scarecrow series, he would paint on anything, even the roof of a Ford LTD.

When he married Barbara, her natural ability in management and connectivity to people soon became a driving force in one of the most successful and unique businesses in regional Victoria.

Their son Simon continued the family's combined love of art and hospitality with collectibles were his passion, and he became well-known as an artist in his own right.

The rustic dining set amongst their eclectic collection of remarkable art created a special ambiance in their restaurant

"You couldn't go past the barramundi: it was just one of those special dishes you went there for," locals said.

Sometimes, patrons were ushered into the cellar for a port of choice at the end of their meal.

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A treat would magically appear from Simon's pocket as he wandered amongst patrons; everyone was unique at Mackley's.

"Old fashioned service," a local said. "A modern menu of Australian favourites in a yesteryear setting, they knew what people wanted."

They wove the old-fashioned with the unexpected and added a Mackley modern twist.

"Every special occasion was celebrated at Mackley's; you just did it," locals said.

Their collections attracted attention from High Street, Armidale, and Ringwood in Melbourne suburbs and regional Victoria.

Mr Evan Mackley died in 2019; his wife Barbara and their son Simon kept the vision alive.

They continued to expand their hospitality business and collecting until Barbara died in 2021, and Simon died a year later in 2022.

They left an enormous legacy, one of the most interesting, exceptional, eclectic family estates ever to be auctioned. Everything was collected with passion for collection's sake.

(Details of the online auction are featured in the Wimmera Mail-Times).

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These words of Theodore Roosevelt come to mind about striving valiantly and daring greatly; were posted on the family's social media but are now a fitting tribute to a family who forged their own path and so successfully marched to the beat of their own drum.

"It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deed could have done them better.

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who knows great enthusiasms and great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at best knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."

Regional Victoria can no longer enjoy the Mackley experience. Still, every local and many from far away have a story about one of the region's most loved, entrepreneurial-thinking families.

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