LOCAL LIFE
Vale Bill McNamara by Greg Martin
When you are a good person and live a long life , it is as sure as eggs is eggs that you will make many friends and admirers . Those many friends and admirers joined Bill McNamara ’ s extended family at Our Lady of the Rosary church in Kellyville on July 9 to bid farewell to a truly amazing human being .
Bill passed away , aged 96 , breaking the hearts of all who had the pleasure of crossing his path on his long journey in this place . That number included yours truly . It was “ house full ” at Our Lady of the
Rosary to bid farewell to Bill . It was an uplifting service with Tony and Sharon delivering emotional eulogies about their beloved father .
Bill McNamara was the fourth child of Harry and Olive McNamara , two former bushies who set up “ shop ” in Riverstone in 1920 when Harry snared a job as stockman-buyer at Riverstone Meatworks .
All six of Harry and Olive ’ s children – Molly , Jack , Tommy , Bill , Monica and Brian - made great contributions to their community and even further afield .
Bill indicated as a young boy that he passion for building - he was always mending whatever needed to be repaired on the family farm .
After completing his indenture as an apprentice carpenter , firstly at the meatworks and then with a home builders , Jim Hanney and Athol Rankin , he stayed in their employment for two years before branching out on his own . And branch out he did , turning his one-man operation into one of the state ’ s biggest building firms , McNamara Group Constructions .
The McNamara Group delivered many large developments that have shaped both Blacktown and Western Sydney over the past 50 years .
Bill ’ s business was responsible for WestPoint Shopping Mall at Blacktown and Marketown Shopping Centre at Riverstone , Mount Druitt High School , Riverstone-Schofields Memorial Club and Blacktown Aquatic Centre . All landmark building projects ! McNamara Group built many of the most important buildings in Parramatta - the McNamara Centre , the Octagon , the United Permanent building , the Parramatta Cultural Centre , the J . A . Fleming Stand at Rosehill and the Riverside Theatres .
Bill also built many facilities for the Royal Australian Army , as well as the Royal Australian Air Force Base at Richmond .
He served on numerous community boards , was Chair of the Economic Development Board of Greater Western Sydney for four years and served as a board member of BCC ’ s Blacktown Venue Management Limited .
This wonderful man was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 1984 , was anointed and in 2017 was Blacktown City Council ’ s Corporate Citizen of the Year in 2017 and more recently , given the Key to the City by the late Blacktown City
Bill McNamara ( right ) with two of his brothers , Tommy and Brian . All three highly respected “ Rivo ” men have now gone , leaving this a poorer place .
Mayor , Tony Bleasdale , his “ old mate ”.
Bill had a lifelong association with the Riverstone Razorbacks ( nee Butchers ) Rugby League Club as a more-thanhandy player , supporter , administrator , successful coach and for many decades , as the revered club patron .
I asked a few of my mates , all of whom counted themselves as Bill ’ s friends , what they would like to have etched on onto the great man ’ s headstone .
“ Been there , done that ”, “ No Regrets ”, “ A Life Well Lived ” – while one wag quipped , “ I can see my house from up here ”.
Bill would have loved that !
BLACKTOWN CITY INDEPENDENT theindependentmagazine . com . au ISSUE 41 // AUGUST 2024 9