Mr Inwood passed away in 2012, but the plaque marked a fitting culmination of his work to preserve the history of the area in a detailed map, marking the areas now under water where many families used to live.

“Because he came fishing everyone would ask him where their relatives used to live and it started from there,” his friend Garry Braithwaite said.

 “Four years on and the journey is completed.” 

“No matter who it was he would do something for everyone and this is a fulfilment of the man’s work.”

State Member for Orange Andrew Gee said Mr Inwood always had a fascinating story to tell such as when former prime minister Billy Hughes pulled up in his car in the 1920s and told his father that where they were standing would one day be under water, irrigating the whole of western NSW.

When he was a child Mr Inwood also found a deposit of gold the size of a dinner plate in a creek on his way to school.

Later, during WWII, he was the first person to see the Japanese planes in the attack on Darwin, spotting the red dot as they glinted in the sunlight and quickly sounding the alarm.

“It is really wonderful to pay tribute to one of the areas’ most loved residents,” Mr Gee said.

“In many ways he was larger than life.”

“There were so many stories interwoven with the history of this area which Bill loved so much. Ever since his funeral we have wanted to do something for him.”

Manager of the Burrendong Holiday Park, Jason Kirk said that Mr Inwood, who knew every fishing hole between Mookerawa and Geurie had an interesting story to tell about every inch of the area while Mr Inwood’s son Mark said it was a special day for his family.

“It is the perfect place looking down over where he loved to fish and rabbit.”

Picture: 2661 Garry Braithwaite, Bill Inwood's grandson Josh Fiske, Andrew Gee, Jason Kirk and Bill Inwood's son Mark Inwood at the Lion Island lookout for the unveiling of the plaque.