THANKS FOR THE LEGACY
EX-MAYOR TRIBUTE & PHOTOS
TRIBUTES are flowing for exGold Coast mayor Denis O’Connell – whose family say “put up a good fight” before passing – with colleagues and successors praising his vision and legacy.
The long-time civic leader and lifelong Biggera Waters resident died at 2.30am on Saturday following a long battle with a respiratory condition.
Mr O’Connell was 86 and is survived by his wife of more than 65 years, Lorraine, daughter Suzanne and son Greg.
Suzanne O’Connell on Saturday morning paid tribute to her father.
“Goodbye everyone. It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of my father, Denis James O’Connell OAM at 2.30am on this Saturday morning,” she wrote.
“He put up a good fight from June last year but now he is at peace. RIP.”
Denis James O’Connell was a key player in Gold Coast politics for nearly 20 years and was first elected as an alderman in 1970, serving under then-mayor Sir Bruce Small.
He was unexpectedly elevated to the mayoralty in December 1982 after the shock death of his predecessor Keith Hunt. Mr O’Connell served as mayor for three years and played a key role in some of the most consequential decisions in the city’s history, including the completion of the Seawall at The Spit and, most famously, using his casting vote at his last council meeting to approve what became the Gold Coast Arts Centre despite opposition from colleagues.
He later attributed this decision as the reason for his shock loss of the 1985 council election to Denis Pie. He ran again for mayor unsuccessfully in 1988. Mr O’Connell returned to prominence in early 2004 when he was temporarily appointed as a councillor to replace Margaret Grummitt who had resigned to contest a state seat at that year’s election.
He served as acting councillor for two months before the election.
Ms Grummitt, who later returned to council before retiring in 2016, remembered Mr O’Connell as a friend and mentor.
“He was a leading light for the Gold Coast and the fishing industry,” she said. “Denis and Lorraine
were always very supportive of me and he was a wonderful mentor, along with Lex Bell and they don’t come much better than that.
“Whenever there was anything happening on the Town Plan I would always get a summons to see Denis and his favourite expression was ‘this wouldn’t have happened in my day’.”
For the rest of his life Mr O’Connell was a popular commentator on Gold Coast matters, particularly development, and a font of knowledge about its history.
Ex-mayor Lex Bell paid tribute to his predecessor: “We will miss Denis O’Connell. He had a world of knowledge about the history of
the Gold Coast and particularly its planning schemes,” he said.
“Denis always had a comment and advice and he had a great deal of wisdom. We will miss him.”
Mayor Tom Tate said he had fond memories of his predecessor.
“It is sad to hear of the passing of our former mayor, who came to office in a time of turmoil,” he said.
“Denis steadied the ship at that time and he was never far away when I needed some unfettered advice or a historic view of the city.
“He leaves behind quite a legacy, most famously bringing the arts centre to fruition. Without his courage and diplomacy this would never have happened.”