Vale Terry Barnes 1948 – 2020

TERRY Stanley Barnes, well known former Shire Clerk of Scone passed away on April 4 in Kellyville aged 71.

scone.com.au spoke with Terry’s daughter, Jacquie Thinius who shared her memories of growing up in Scone, Pat Gleeson worked for Terry and said he was nearly sacked by him, but admired him greatly and Bill Rose who joked about his unceremonious citizenship ceremony with Terry.

“Mum and dad’s time in scone was always a happy time and dad was always proud of his achievements there, they had a great network of friends and colleagues which today still keep in touch,” said Jacquie Thinius.

“He treated everybody the same and always said for the best functioning team everyone is treated well and are important for the role they do,” she said.

“He never knocked anyone and every Christmas dad would buy a couple of slabs of beer out of his own pocket and go down to the depot to have a beer with the garbos.

“He had plenty of challenges, but he achieved so many things, because he had a good team behind him,”

“We grew up in Scone and when I come back to Scone it’s still such a beautiful little town and mum and dad’s time there that thoroughly enjoyed it and had a great group of mates.

“I always remember that dad worked extremely long hours and David Macintyre was the President then and they got on very well.

“He was passionate about growing things and expanding things and whatever he took on, he took on to see a community grow.

“He developed subdivisions of Scone and I remember a bridge out at Rouchel he got heritage listed that the community wanted to keep.

“Dad and Herb Phelps went down to Adelaide to pick up the Mare and Foal, he did it on his own time and David Macintyre organised the truck, it was a pretty memorable time.

“Most people remember dad playing the guitar and being up for a party, he loved music, played in lots of bands and played New Year’s Eve at the Golf Club,” she said.

“My mum Maureen ran the household with us four girls, while dad worked long hours, they were a good team,” said daughter Jacquie.

Pat Gleeson, well known local resident who worked for Terry at the Council said he was the most dynamic shire clerk he’d ever encountered and he admired him greatly. 

“He was a bloke I looked up to even though he tried to sack me once, but I was young and stupid, he was right I was wrong,” laughed Pat Gleeson.

“He was an outstanding Shire Clerk, a great boss and probably the most dynamic this area has ever seen,” he said.

“He was a good leader, he involved himself with the outdoor staff, played the guitar, was a great family man and his four girls were all involved with the community; one of those good old-fashioned clerks,” he said.

“Always approachable, family orientated boss and community minded,” he said.

“Back in those days nobody would do subdivisions, but he did.

“He was instrumental in things like Satur, FJ Walkers land in Aberdeen and around then they did the sporting complex,” he said.

“He was just dynamic and a good bloke,” said Pat Gleeson.

Bill Howey has been on many committees in Scone over 53 years, but said the Sporting Development Committee which Terry was part of was the most productive by far. 

“We formed the White Park Committee and the Sporting Development Committee and that was to look at the whole sporting scenario through Scone,” said Bill Howey.

“He was quite ambitious, buying Dal Adam’s dairy farm, with an excellent well, was ideal for sporting fields and Terry Barnes was the driver of that, which became the sports complex we have now,” he said.

“All of this happened with Brian McGrath as chairman of that and I’ve been in a lot of committees in 53 years, but it was the best committee I’ve ever been on.

“We’d meet every second Thursday at 5pm, it was the most productive and best committee we ever had and terry Barnes was fundamental to all of that.

“He brought about significant change for the betterment of Scone, Terry was very keen to develop housing and had innovative ideasand he was definitely a young man going places,” said Bill.

Bill also remembers his citizenship ceremony in 1985 with Terry.

“I think it was only me and Terry,” laughed Bill.

“I walked into his office, he read through the oath and that was it,” he said.

“I’m not sure he thought it was a good idea,” laughed Bill.

Terry was born in Inverell in 1948 and his first job was as a council clerk in Tenterfield. He put himself through local government training and always aspired to do great things.

After being the Scone Shire Clerk he took a job at Fairfield as the General Manager, before moving to Cabramatta Council and was working there in 1991 when John Newman MP was assassinated by Phuong Ngo, a political opponent, who Terry also knew through his role as general manager. 

As General Manager of Parramatta Council Terry instigated bringing the water board and the police department to the area and received an order of service to government.

“He sat on numerous boards, heritage, Luna Park and the Harbour Foreshore,” said Jacquie.

“His last position was director general of department of housing, under Carl Scully,” she said.

“He often did a thankless job, but he had the drive and passion to do something and he did,” his daughter Jacquie said.

Terry was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia nine years ago and was cared for by his wife Moreen, until September last year when he needed more supportive care.

Jacquie said while they were disappointed they couldn’t do a “proper send off” for her dad last month, they are planning a memorial, which they hope will be the kind of party he would have liked.

“The memorial will take place when we are able and it will be happier than when we were saying goodbye, because then we will be able to celebrate his life,” daughter Jacquie Thinius said.