The Sunshine Coast has lost a true pioneer.
Bob Melville Robert Marshall passed away peacefully on February 18, surrounded by his loving family. He was 94 years old.
Mr Marshall was a founder and creator of much of what is now recognised as the modern Sunshine Coast. His life spanned from the era of horse teams and post-war farming to heavy engineering, dredging, quarrying, transport and landmark legal reform.
Among his most remarkable engineering achievements was the design and construction of his own dredge, the M1, built at Woombye. At a time when no other dredge in Australia could cut through the hardened ‘coffee rock’ beneath Queensland’s coastal harbours, Mr Marshall engineered a rotating cutter-head system that made the impossible possible.
Using his self-built dredge, he opened the entrance and yacht basin at Mooloolaba Harbour and successfully completed challenging marine works at Roslyn Bay Harbour in Yeppoon. These works helped shape the maritime infrastructure of Queensland’s east coast.
In July 1973, when the Cherry Venture ran aground at Double Island Point, Mr Marshall mobilised immediately. He transported heavy equipment onto Teewah Beach and bunkered the vessel’s fuel, preventing what could have become a significant environmental disaster.
Mr Marshall was also the visionary behind Marshall Lakes at Forest Glen, transforming 200 acres of sandy swamp into three internationally-recognised freshwater lakes. Marshall Lakes became home to national and world water ski and wakeboarding championships, charity events, community fundraisers, countless weddings and local gatherings.
Beyond engineering and enterprise, he left an enduring mark on Australian law. After part of his property was compulsorily acquired for the Bruce Highway duplication, Mr Marshall pursued the matter to the High Court of Australia. In a unanimous decision, the court ruled in his favour, establishing what became known as the ‘Marshall Principle’. The ruling ensured that governments must compensate landowners not only for land taken, but also for injurious affection to the remaining property, a precedent that changed Australian property law.
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He was known as “the little guy who took on big authority”, standing up for fairness, accountability and the rights of everyday Australians. The Castle was a movie about what it means to be an Australian. Mr Marshall and wife and Kathy Marshall’s life story could be deemed a real life version, with two Australians taking on big government in the high court of Australia. Mr Marshall even had a towing business for much of his life. In The Castle, released in 1997, ‘Darryl Kerrigan’ brought home the victory for his family. Meanwhile, Mr Marshall started his court process on December 7 1992 with the final verdict at the High Court in Canberra in 2001, after a decade of persistence and heartache.
He was also generous. Over decades, the Marshalls supported countless charities and community groups, including the Australian Koala Foundation and The Twinnies, alongside numerous local sporting clubs, disability organisations and families in need.
He was a problem solver, builder, man of humour and grit. He was a man who believed that if there was a problem, there was always a solution.
The pioneer is survived by his beloved wife, his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. His legacy lives on in the harbours he deepened, the laws he changed, the lakes he created and the lives he quietly helped.
Mr Marshall’s funeral will be held at Stella Maris Catholic Church, 2 Church Street, on Wednesday, February 25, from 12.30pm. Family, friends and members of the community are warmly invited to attend and celebrate his life.
