LOCAL LIFE
ONE OF THE HAWKESBURY ’ S FINEST ...
Barry Smith and his wife Sharri in the grounds of Government House in 2020 , after having proudly receiving his OAM for “ service to local government and the community ” from State Governor , Margaret Beasley . by Greg Martin
When you get into your seventh decade in this place , you learn certain facts which can always be taken for granted – death and taxes to be sure .
Let ’ s add a third to that list – as sure as eggs is eggs , a friend , acquaintance , or someone I have just met will unearth Hawkesbury ’ s Finest subject for your writer .
Two of my friends , Cliff Haynes and Graeme Fleming , are among the most highly respected men in NSW Local Government circles and on a recent short break in their company down on the South Coast , they both chorused , “ You should do a story on Barry Smith ”.
I had taken down a copy of last month ’ s Hawkesbury Independent , and on browsing through the magazine , they noticed the regular Hawkesbury ’ s Finest article . “ Why would I do that ?” I asked . “ Well , he lives in your neck of the woods , and he has spent a lifetime in local government where he has earned the highest respect , not only from the residents he has served , but at the highest level of government ,” Cliff said .
“ There ’ s a Barry Smith who is well known in cricket circles up our way ,” I replied . “ I remember that he was one of the driving forces in getting Hawkesbury into Sydney Grade Cricket . “ Yep , that ’ s him ,” the pair chorused . Love it when a story lands in my lap , and man-oh-man , did Barry Smith have a story to tell .
Barry Smith , OAM , I might add – he was awarded a gong in the 2020 Australia Day Honours for “ services to local government and to the community of Hunters Hill ”.
He has also been anointed as a Paul Harris Fellow , one of the highest honours which can be bestowed on a Rotarian by Rotary International ( 2018 ).
I wanted to talk cricket first-off because of his major role in Hawkesbury joining the elite Sydney Grade Cricket in 1985 .
In the late 70s and early 80s , the standard of cricket in the district was strong across all ages and grades and gradually an idea was formed by local officials that Hawkesbury could field four competitive senior teams as well as junior representative teams . That dream has certainly become a reality ! Barry ’ s business expertise , knowledge of local government procedures , his negotiating skills and a multitude of contacts , went a long way to the formation of Hawkesbury Cricket Club .
Aiding and abetting him as members of the steering committee were Neal Hall , Phil Tuckerman , Adrian Lindho and Beau Strahan .
“ We had to start from scratch – finding a home down at Benson ’ s Lane , developing two cricket fields , laying turf wickets , erecting club facilities , putting up fencing and sight boards – the lot ,” Barry said .
Barry played rugby league at primary school and Richmond High , but his two sporting passions were cricket and tennis . “ I played competitive tennis in the then powerful Hawkesbury District Tennis Association and still competed until my mid-
8 ISSUE 156 // MAY 2023 theindependentmagazine . com . au THE HAWKESBURY INDEPENDENT