Voice of Real Australia is a regular newsletter from ACM, which has journalists in every state and territory. Sign up here to get it by email, or here to forward it to a friend.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The Great Western highway in NSW was closed, shops were shut and people lined the streets. The people of Cobar, and beyond, said a final farewell to the inimitable Lilliane Brady.
She was NSW's longest serving female mayor, she was awarded an OAM, a Local Government Lifetime Achievement Award and last year received the Minister for Local Government Award for her commitment to increasing participation of women in local government.
She was, it was said, "an unmitigating force of nature".
She was Lilliane Olive Brady.
"During the last week we've heard phrases such as unmitigated force of nature, fierce advocate, top fighter. All very well deserved, but to us she wasn't just Mayor Brady, she was our mum, and a nana, a far more important role to her," daughter Suzanne said at her state funeral on Friday.
Lilliane was remembered for her 40 years on council, and 23 years served as mayor of the Cobar Shire. She was best known for her renowned no-nonsense approach and dogged fundraising for those in the community.
Cobar Shire Council general manager Peter Vlatko choked up as he delivered a eulogy on Friday. He described Lilliane in her own words - as a "no bullshit mayor".
Among all the tears there were a lot of laughs, the Daily Liberal told its subscribers.
Like the time Lilliane went to Dubbo for a meeting and snaffled the car park adorned with the "mayor parking only" sign. When questioned, she suggested the sign should be more specific. It was changed a week later but Lilliane parked there anyway.
Then there was the time a state minister tried to divert her attention during a community cabinet meeting. His attempt at flattery fell flat: "I'm here for finance, Minister, not romance."
In 2018 her dedication was recognised with a Local Government NSW Lifetime Achievement Award.
"Mayor Lilliane Brady is an absolute asset to the people of Cobar Shire and the local government sector as a whole, and we couldn't have asked for a better recipient of our first-ever LGNSW Lifetime Achievement Award," the associations president Linda Scott said at the time.
She worked relentlessly for her community and was the driving behind a number of projects. None moreso than the Lilliane Brady Village, a 34-bed not-for-profit facility including a hostel and a nursing home, plus a multipurpose health centre connecting the village.
She oversaw a mining revival in the region, and ensured Cobar became one of the state's great outback towns.
And as hard as she worked, she played hard, too. Lilliane loved every aspect of horse racing - from the punting to the jockeys and trainers and all in between. John Ellicott penned a marvellous tribute to that part of Lilliane's life. Read it here.
Her betting plunges were as legendary as her generosity. She will never be forgotten - in Cobar or across western NSW.
In case you are interested in filtering all the latest down to just one late afternoon read, why not sign up for The Informer newsletter?
More stuff happening around Australia ...
- Third woman alleges rape by former staffer
- Leading women want Sex Discrimination Commissioner review into Parliament culture
- Can I choose what vaccine I get? What if I have allergies or side-effects?
- Beaches closed, SES crews on alert after heavy rain lashes parts of NSW
- Koppers to pay $82,500 for Mayfield plant leaks
- Thrillseekers witness a Top End river become a wet season torrent
- One man explains his gay conversion experience
- MCG lands State of Origin series opener