Shellharbour City councillors have paid a heartfelt tribute to former mayor Bob Harrison, who passed away on April 2 at the age of 91. During Tuesday night's council meeting, colleagues recalled his unwavering commitment to the community and his pivotal role in opposing a proposed merger with Wollongong City Council.
A Legacy of Service
Mr Harrison was first elected to Shellharbour City Council in 1971 and served for 20 years, including two terms as mayor: from 1974 to 1975 and again from 1977 to 1991. He also represented the electorate of Kiama in the New South Wales Parliament from 1986 until the 1999 election.
Councillor John Davey shared a memorable story about Mr Harrison's determination to prevent the merger. According to Cr Davey, Mr Harrison stormed into the office of council general manager Carey McIntyre, insisting that the merger must not happen. He demanded that signage be erected around the city to oppose the proposal. When informed that council funds could not be used for such a campaign, Mr Harrison asked the cost of a corflute sign. Upon hearing the price, he immediately wrote a personal cheque for $2,500. That led to 450 corflutes being placed across the city, marking the beginning of the successful campaign to stop the merger.
Councillor Rob Petreski described Mr Harrison as a visionary who transformed the city, while Councillor Lou Stefanovski called him a great man. Shellharbour Mayor Chris Homer noted that Mr Harrison's wife, Ann, also served on the council, making them the longest-serving husband-and-wife team in New South Wales local government history.
Mayor Homer extended sincere condolences to Mr Harrison's family, friends, and all who knew him. He acknowledged Mr Harrison's significant contribution to the civic life of the city and thanked him for his many years of dedicated service to the Shellharbour community.
