Maxwell Valentine Green passed away on February 20, aged 81. Born in Orange, he came to Dubbo at the age of seven and lived in North Dubbo, in Darling St.

Max started his apprenticeship with Bill Hawking's barber shop on Fitzroy St. He also rode track bikes at No. 1 oval and won a number of bike events in the process.

When the barber shop was quiet, Max would make wrought iron pot plant stands and it ended up overtaking his barber trade. This was in the 1960s.

In his own words, Max said of that time: "Being the only barber in town with a welder beside his cut-throat razor, word soon got around that 'Greenie' was welding in the back of his barber shop.

"This soon led into gates and repairing the odd thing. Work was quickly picking up with the new venture and I was forced to make a big portable work bench in the lane to keep my ever-demanding customers satisfied. This went on for two years. After talking with my wife, Coral, we decided we would start our new business 'Dubbo Wrought Iron.'"

Max set up the new business in a garage a the back of his Sterling St house in South Dubbo, supported by Coral who would come home from work and go out to the shed after tea and start grinding, cleaning, cutting and priming for Max to finish the final coat.

"Over the next 20 years I proceeded to do a lot of small and large projects."

These included steel structural projects in the Dubbo City Centre; the Macquarie St stage one and two fencing; Tamworth main street stage one fencing; Narromine War Memorial cemetery fence; hand railings at Weilmoringal Aboriginal Medical Hostel; fencing for a McDonalds restaurant; fencing of the Victoria Park duckpond, fencing for several motels around town including Australian Heritage Motor Inn, Blue Gum Motor Inn, Endeavour Court Motor Inn; security fencing at car yards including Robert Handsaker Ford in Narromine, Thrifty Dubbo, Dubbo 4WD, and others.

Coral and Max had three daughters, Catherine, Cadelia and Jane (all now deceased) and sons, Guy (deceased), Jason and Matthew. The boys acquired the wrought iron skills of their father and worked in the business.

Max retired from his role as a wrought iron artisan in 2002. For the last 15 years, Max had dementia and went progressively downhill health-wise before passing away late last month. He is survived by his wife Coral and sons Jason and Matthew and their families. He was a beloved grandfather, uncle and great friend to many.

Vale, Max Green.