Judith Church departed St Arnaud on a Friday morning.

She didn’t get a chance to say goodbye but would want her friends to know that she would be looking forward to the next great adventure.

Her life was defined by her art, creativity, drive, and love for learning.

An artist and avid reader, Judith, made a mark on the St Arnaud art scene.

She brought vibrancy to the local community with her unique perspective on life.

In the 1970s, Judith, a restless spirit, ventured from country Victoria into the vast Australian outback. There, she painted its essence while working as a teacher in remote Aboriginal communities.

Her love of the frontier country and its people are apparent in her art and stories.

She moved regularly, spending decades in the Northern Territory, teaching and working on the stations and towns throughout the state before a time in Northern Tasmania and finally a return to country Victoria.

Judith has been a resident of St Arnaud for more than a decade. For the restless spirit that she was, it seems that she had finally found a place to call home and a community to be a part of.

Judy could be a hard person to know well but she was an individual who left an indelible impact on those privileged enough to glimpse the depths of her spirit.

Her legacy will be remembered by those fortunate enough to have known her and her art will live on.

A part of us is gone – her sons Owen and Roger.