Barry Smith
30s , but my real love was cricket ,” he said . “ I started as a 10-year-old with Richmond and progressed to A Grade as an opening bat and sometimes wicketkeeper .
“ I ended my career playing in first and second grades with North Richmond from 1979 until 1988 .”
Barry refused to give himself a good rap as a cricketer but his old mate , Neal Hall , told me Barry ’ s defence of his wicket was legendary .
“ He didn ’ t have the swashbuckling flare of a Dougie Walters or Norm O ’ Neill , but crikey , he was bloody hard to get out ,” Neal said .
Barry has been a member of the Hawkesbury District Cricket Association for nearly half a century , covering a variety of roles including auditor , judiciary chairman , junior secretary and vice president .
He was the proud recipient of a life membership of the association in 1986 .
Now let ’ s get back to Barry ’ s remarkable career in local government .
He spent 22 years and one month as General Manager at Hunters Hill Council – residents and councillors obviously liked what he brought to the place , given his contract was renewed time and time again .
In fact , it was only after having a second heart attack in two years that persuaded Barry that it was time to pull the pin on his career .
By the way , another stent got his ticker
ticking like clockwork .
“ I was offered another contract at Hunters Hill , but I was determined to enjoy being a grandfather to our four grandchildren – our kids , Rohan and Kara have each given us a boy and a girl to dote over ,” Barry said .
Barry ’ s other half is his wife , Sharri , a South Windsor girl whom he vaguely knew before being smitten when she worked as a stenographer at Windsor Municipal Council – his first step in a long career in local government .
For all but one year of his working life , the 69-year-old served in local government .
In his first year out of Richmond High with his Higher School Certificate , Barry found employment as a clerk / teller with National Australia Bank , firstly at Parramatta and then Toongabbie branches .
His career in local government kicked off in 1972 when he joined Windsor Municipal Council as a payroll clerk .
“ I was with the council through the amalgamation with Colo Shire to form Hawkesbury City Council in January 1981 until 1983 when I secured a role as assistant accountant with Penrith City Council ,” Barry explained .
He spent four years at Penrith before continuing his climb up the corporate ladder with a nine-year stint at Baulkham Hills Shire Council as financial accountant ( 1987-89 ), administration manager ( 1989- 90 ) and then Director Corporate Services
Wotta team ! Dogged opening batsmen , Barry Smith , seated on extreme right , with fellow members of the young Richmond second grade cricketers who won 1973-74 premiership . ( Back Row ): Gary Mitchell , Bill Mulligan , David Smith , Peter Bullock , Robert Beattie , Garry Tuckwell , Alan Cole . ( Centre ): Denis Jacobsen , Bob Silk ( c ). ( Front ): Graeme Williams , umpires Jack Bonser and his daughter , Sandra Barry Smith .
until departing for Hunters Hill in 1996 .
Along the journey , Barry strengthened his business acumen by attaining a Bachelor Degree ( Public Administration ) and a Master of Business Administration ( Local Government ) degree after four years of part-time study through Charles Sturt University .
After retiring from Hunters Hill , Barry had a good break away from the coalface before making a work / life balance change
and forming Barry Smith Consulting Group , a specialist local government and public sector consultancy .
Recently he finished a four-month contract as acting general manager at Hawkesbury River County Council which administers the Noxious Weeds Act ( 1993 ) throughout the Blacktown , Hawkesbury , Penrith and Hills council areas .
I reckon I owe Graeme Fleming and Cliff Haynes a beer or three !
KURMOND
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THE HAWKESBURY INDEPENDENT theindependentmagazine . com . au ISSUE 156 // MAY 2023 9