Ivan Whyte is a retired police officer who recently celebrated his 90th birthday. He was born in Shepparton and moved to Bendigo in 1958. Ivan lost his father, Charles, to pneumonia caused by WWI gas exposure, and his three brothers served in WWII. Ivan has been a member of the Evergreen Band since 1995, making him the longest-serving member with 27 years of participation. The Evergreen Band is a group of retired musicians (average age 76) that performs 25–30 concerts annually in nursing homes and retirement villages, plus weekly rehearsals. Ivan's passion for music began at age 15 with the violin, later learning cornet, clarinet, saxophone, trombone, and trumpet. He played in the police band in Melbourne, performing at Government House and various state functions. Ivan was married to Sylvie for 52 years, sharing a deep musical connection. He has three stepchildren, five grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren. His current partner, Margaret Rennie, describes his life as revolving around music. Ivan remains active with the band and his dog, Spot, and has received recognition from politicians and public figures for his contributions.Bendigo Advertiser Article - "Evergreen musician's milestone" story by Lucy Williams, picture by Noni Hyett This item contains the following documents 3486.54a Colour photo of retired policeman Ivan Whyte playing his saxaphone 3486.54 Bendigo Advertiser Article - "Evergreen musician's milestone"bendigo, ian whyte police officer, evergreen band