Thursday, 16 October 2025

 Ellen SANDELL (Melbourne) (09:46): Today I want to pay tribute to a much-admired Kensington local, William Richter, who was tragically killed on his 19th birthday while riding his bike on Macaulay Road heading to a lecture at the University of Melbourne. Since that day so many locals have stopped me to talk about Will – about his kindness, generosity, intellect, humour and warmth. Will was an exceptionally talented student and a star on the cricket and football fields, even kicking the winning goal at Trinity College’s historic premiership this year. But what people remember most is something his friends call the Will Richter effect: Will’s beaming smile and presence lit up the room and brightened everybody’s day. He made genuine connections with others, lifting spirits with his passion and enthusiasm and carrying himself with genuine humility and gratitude. As his parents Tim and Andie, who are in the chamber today, told me, it was these quiet qualities that defined Will. He was a humble high achiever just trying to have a positive impact. Will was deeply loved by so many: his family, his Uni High friends, his Uni Blues teammates, Trinity College friends and the local families who watched him grow up playing with the Kensington Flemington Junior Sports Club.

Our beautiful Kensington community have been devastated by this loss but have wrapped their arms around his family Tim, Andie and Sophie, and that outpouring shows just how much Will meant to everybody. I want to permanently record the kind of person Will was. May we all try to live a little more like him: authentic, caring, grateful and curious about the world. Vale, William Oberin Richter. What a legacy you have left in our community.