Not only have they made Orange home, family members have constructed some of the city’s most used and recognisable buildings ever since Ernie Tilston Senior arrived in Orange in 1911 or 1912.

It’s for this reason Orange City Council has been asked to commemorate the family’s contribution to the city and name the major road in the new Fenton subdivision after them.

Grahame Tilston, the youngest of 10 family members and son to the great Ernie Tilston Junior, said such a gesture would be recognition for the years of hard work the family has put into making Orange a better place.

“It’d be very thrilling to have our name etched in history,” Grahame said.

“For more than 100 years our family has been building in Orange. It started with my father Ernie Junior and I’m a builder now. This recognition, especially for our father Ernie, would be a lovely gesture.”

“For more than 100 years our family has been building in Orange. It started with my father Ernie Junior and I’m a builder now. This recognition, especially for our father Ernie, would be a lovely gesture.”

Grahame said his late father Ernie Junior was responsible for designing and building the Orange Function Centre, one of the city’s most-used function centres, which was opened in 1960.

“At the time the Orange Function Centre was state-of-the-art and Ernie fought for it because they wanted to build a bowling green there in its place,” John Tilston, Ernie’s fourth eldest child, added.

Five generations of the family gathered yesterday at the Valencia Drive park in the Fenton subdivision, off the Northern Distributor, and the overall opinion was the main road should be named Ernie Tilston Way.

Orange City Council estimates the Valencia Drive park will be completed by June 30 and the road network within the new Fenton subdivision by December, 2014.

Orange City councillors will make a decision on the street naming at Tuesday’s council meeting.

luke.schuyler@fairfaxmedia.com.au