NORTH Richmond resident Barry Smith (66) has received an Order of Australia medal for service to local government, and to the community of Hunters Hill.
Mr Smith, now a local government consultant, was general manager of Hunters Hill Council from 1996 until 2018.
He is a Fellow of Local Government Professionals Australia NSW, where he has been a member since 1985. He was President of the group from 2014-2018 and a Board Member from 2008-2014.
He was a Board Member of Local Government Professionals Australia from 2013-2018.
Mr Smith grew up in the Hawkesbury, attending Richmond Public School and Richmond High School.
His total service in local government was 46 years, and he was involved in the amalgamation of Colo and Windsor Councils to make Hawkesbury City Council in 1980.
Mr Smith told the Gazette that working in local council was a "pretty good place to work" as you could "move from council to council".
"Each time I've moved it's been community progression. I went from a Director of The Hills Council to General Manager at Hunters Hill Council, and ended up staying there for 22 years," he said.
"It was a very challenging environment in which to work, and extremely interesting - which is what kept me there.
"I've seen lots of changes in that time that we had to react to, too - including the challenges of amalgamations.
"I'm very honoured that someone thought I was worthy of a nomination [for the Order of Australia]."
Mr Smith was involved in the Hawkesbury District Cricket Association for many years.
"Cricket was my passion until I had kids, and I have two grandchildren now," he said.
"I served on lots of positions in the District Association, treasurer, secretary, vice president, and I'm a life member.
"I spent a lot of time working on Hawkesbury's entry in grade cricket - that was in the early 1980s, and we went into grade in 1985.
"After I stopped playing in the late 80s I kept involved, and was in the chair of judiciary until 2016 or so."
Mr Smith has been married to his wife Sharri for 42 years and has lived in the Hawkesbury all his life.
"My great-great-great grandfather was Edward Mitchell, who was one of the original pioneer settlers in the Hawkesbury," he said.
"If you're a Mitchell or a Shepherd, that's me - my mother was a Mitchell.
"We're never likely to move too far from the Hawkesbury."
Among his list of community work, Mr Smith was Honorary Auditor, Richmond Public School P&F and Canteen from 1995-2000, and Parish Councillor and Church Warden, St Matthew's Anglican Church, Windsor, from 2006-2011.