28 February 2025
By James Mullan
North Sydney Council honoured the late former Mayor Gerry Nolan at its meeting on February 24, 2025. Current Mayor Zoe Baker paid tribute to Nolan, who passed away on January 31, 2025, at the age of 84.
Sarah and Emma, daughters of the former mayor, were present at the meeting.
“Gerry lived a large life marked by energy, charm, and generosity. He was exceptionally generous with his time for the North Sydney community over many decades,” Mayor Baker remarked, leading the council’s commemorations.
Born in Wyalla, South Australia, in 1940, Nolan moved to Sydney in 1960 while serving in the Navy.
As early as 1971, he became a vocal member of the North Sydney community, helping to establish the North Sydney Creative Leisure Centre, now known as the North Sydney Community Centre. He also campaigned vigorously against the expansion of local schools into residential areas and to preserve the center and Ted Mack Civic Park when there were plans to redevelop the area into high-rises.
Mayor Zoe Baker stated, “In my view, his legacy shaped much of what we hold dear in this community—the spaces and places for people, particularly children.”
Nolan served as mayor from September 14, 1991, to September 9, 1995, despite never having served on the council. The mayor was previously elected directly by the public, not by the council, and after encouragement from Ted Mack, Nolan ran for the position.
His achievements while in office and before as a community campaigner included the creation of the Bus Interchange at Neutral Bay, which he described as “A hallmark of my, what do you call it? Not reign? My time as Mayor!” as well as helping with the creation of a bus lane on the Harbour Bridge.
Outside of community politics, Nolan had a diverse career including electronics technician, sailor, pilot, instructor, geophysicist, adventurer, author, editor, publisher, philosopher, lecturer, mentor, and raconteur.
He was also a vocal advocate for open government. Council’s Historian, Margaret Park, noted in February 2000, “You can create all the right environments, all the right procedures, the protocols you like, for open government, but at the end of the day, people are going to have to get off their bums themselves and do something.”
There is no doubt the former mayor will be remembered for getting involved and working to improve his local community and the world around him.
Plans have been initiated to memorialize the late mayor by planting a tree with a commemorative plaque and naming the children’s playground at the North Sydney Community Centre the ‘Gerald Nolan Adventure Playground’ in recognition of his role in creating that space.
You can read Mayor Baker’s full tribute here: https://www.northsydney.nsw.gov.au/ecm/download/document-11389516