A roadside memorial in Ravenswood dedicated to the life of a world renowned instrument maker, who died after being hit by a car, has gone missing.
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Master flute maker and cyclist Michael Grinter was killed while riding his bike in Ravenswood in 2018 and his legacy is memorialised across the world.
His sister Jane Jarman said he was remembered particularly in Ireland for his contributions to Irish music but also through an American music scholarship program.
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One memorial closer to home - a white bike statue placed by the White Bike Foundation on Fogarty's Gap Road where Mr Grinter was killed - has gone missing. And his family want it back.
Ms Jarman told the Bendigo Advertiser she believed the bike may have been missing since May, based on the advice of cyclists in the area.
Sister's "go-to place" to remember late brother, missing
She said, for her, the bike, which had been there for three years, was her "go-to place" for birthdays and anniversaries to remember her brother - who had lived in the area for most of his life.
Ms Jarman said she had contacted the Mount Alexander Shire who had assured her they had not removed the bike, and they had been assisting her in the search for the memorial.
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Roadworks were previously scheduled for the area but Ms Jarman does not believe the area where Mr Grinter's memorial was located had been affected by this work, and she said she assumes it has been taken.
"I have no choice but to believe it has been stolen," Ms Jarman said.
She said the bike was a "subtle reminder on the side of the road" and "very obviously a memorial".
Removal of obvious memorial hurts family
"I would dearly love to get it back," she said.
"It's really disappointing for the family."
This is not the first bike memorial to go missing in the region, after the tribute to another cyclist Jason Lowndes was removed in May of 2023.
That memorial honouring the young professional cyclist who was killed in December 2017 was ultimately returned.
Since 2015, the White Bike Foundation has advocated for the safety of cyclists, working alongside all road users, and has placed memorials for those who have died on our roads - including Mr Grinter and Mr Lowndes.
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Lucy Williams
Journalist with an interest in telling regional and rural stories, and covering the diverse array of topics that matter to the people of Bendigo.
Journalist with an interest in telling regional and rural stories, and covering the diverse array of topics that matter to the people of Bendigo.
