Rod Fyffe
{{Short description|Bendigo politician and teacher (1949–2024)}}
{{Use Australian English|date=July 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Rod Fyffe
| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=AUS|OAM}}
| image =
| title = Mayor of the City of Greater Bendigo
| term_start = 2003
| term_end = 2004
| predecessor = Willi Carney
| successor = Greg Williams
| term_start2 = 2004
| term_end2 = 2005
| predecessor2 = Greg Williams
| successor2 = David Jones
| term_start3 = 2010
| term_end3 = 2011
| predecessor3 = Rod Campbell
| successor3 = Alec Sandner
| term_start4 = 2015
| term_end4 = 2016
| predecessor4 = Peter Cox
| successor4 = Margaret O'Rourke
| title5 = Deputy Mayor of the City of Greater Bendigo
| term_start5 = 2016
| term_end5 = 2017
| predecessor5 = Office Established
| successor5 = Jennifer Alden
| title6 = Councillor of the City of Greater Bendigo for Lockwood Ward
| term_start6 = 2012
| term_end6 = 2024
| title7 = Councillor of the City of Greater Bendigo for Golden Square Ward
| term_start7 = 2004
| term_end7 = 2012
| title8 = Councillor of the City of Greater Bendigo for Fortuna Ward
| term_start8 = 1996
| term_end8 = 2004
| title9 = Councillor of the City of Bendigo for Sutton Ward
| term_start9 = 1983
| term_end9 = 1994
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1949|03|20|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Warracknabeal, Victoria, Australia
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2024|07|12|1949|03|20|df=yes}}
| death_place = Bendigo, Victoria, Australia
| nationality = Australian
| party = Independent
| residence =
| alma_mater = Monash University (BEc)
University of Edinburgh (BA)
| occupation = Teacher
| profession =
| religion =
| signature =
| website =
| footnotes =
| nickname = The Mayor with the Hair
| awards = {{Plainlist|
- Mayor Emeritus (2012)
- MAV Victorian Councillor 35 Years' Service Award (2022)
}}
}}
Rodney James Fyffe{{Cite web |date=17 July 2024 |title=Rod Fyffe Death Notice |url=https://tributes.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/obituaries/515508/rod-fyffe/?r=https://tributes.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/obituaries/bendigoadvertiser-au/ |access-date=18 July 2024 |website=Bendigo Advertiser Tributes}}{{Cite web |title=Rodney James Fyffe OAM |url=https://mountalexanderfunerals.com/obituaries/rodney-james-fyffe-oam/ |access-date=27 July 2024 |website=Mount Alexander Funerals}} {{post-nominals|country=AUS|OAM}} (20 March 1949 – 12 July 2024) was an Australian politician and teacher. From 2003 to 2016, Fyffe served non-consecutively as the Mayor of the City of Greater Bendigo on four occasions. Fyffe served as a Bendigo councillor from 1983 to his death in 2024. He was also a teacher at Bendigo Senior Secondary College from 1979 to 2011.
Early life and career
Fyffe was born on 20 March 1949 in Warracknabeal, Victoria.{{Cite news |last1=O'Callaghan |first1=Tom |last2=Magrath |first2=Jonathon |last3=Loughran |first3=Ben |date=13 July 2024 |title=Tributes flow for 'mayor with the hair' |url=https://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/story/8693775/rod-fyffe-beloved-bendigo-councillor-and-ex-mayor-dies/ |access-date=13 July 2024 |work=Bendigo Advertiser |pages=1, 5}}{{cite book |author-link= |url= |title=The Local Heroes: City of Greater Bendigo |date=2013 |publisher=Local Heroes Publications |others=Photography by Simmon Pang |isbn=978-0-9806160-2-6 |editor-last=Grant |editor-first=Jan |volume=3 |location=Shepparton, Victoria |pages=122–129, 353}} He attended primary school in Cannum and Caramut, before going to high school in Hamilton. After finishing high school, Fyffe went on to study at Monash University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Economics, majoring in Mathematics, Statistics and Economics. After undertaking a Diploma of Education, Fyffe went on to teach at Mansfield High School, before departing for Scotland in 1975 for further studies at the University of Edinburgh, where he studied a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Archaeology, Geology, Geophysics and Fine Art.
Fyffe returned to Australia in 1979 and began teaching at Bendigo Senior High School, where he taught until 2011.{{Cite web |last=Snowdon |first=Danielle |date=12 July 2024 |title=Vale Rod Fyffe |url=https://www.bssc.edu.au/news/vale-rod-fyffe/ |access-date=13 July 2024 |website=Bendigo Senior Secondary College |language=en-US}}
Outside of politics, Fyffe was associated with the Bendigo Art Gallery and had a gallery space named for him. He served as a board member of the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) and the Goldfields Libraries, and was a member of the Bendigo Easter Fair Committee. Fyffe served on the committee of the Golden Square Football Netball Club, in addition to acting as the club's secretary and as a canteen assistant shortly before his death.{{Cite news |last=Magrath |first=Jonathon |date=13 July 2024 |title='A champion of the people', Rod's legacy will always live on |url=https://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/story/8693943/tributes-pour-in-for-greater-bendigo-councillor-rod-fyffe/ |access-date=13 July 2024 |work=Bendigo Advertiser |pages=4}} He was a member of the Bendigo Field Naturalists Club.{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/whirrakee11bend/mode/2up |title=Whirrakee |date=January–February 1990 |publisher=Bendigo Field Naturalists Club |editor-last=Orr |editor-first=Rod |volume=11 No. 1 |location=Bendigo, Victoria |page=ii}}
Political career
Fyffe first stood for election in the City of Bendigo's Darling Ward in 1982, where he was defeated by 41 votes by incumbent councillor and former mayor Joseph Patrick Pearce. He ran again in Sutton Ward in 1983, where he was elected on preferences. He was re-elected with an absolute majority in the 1986 election.{{cite book |last=Cusack |first=Frank |title=Annals of Bendigo |date=1988 |publisher=Sandhurst Trustees Ltd |isbn=978-0-9594974-4-1 |volume=7}}
Fyffe was first elected as mayor of the City of Greater Bendigo council in 2003. He took time off from his teaching position to serve as mayor.{{Cite news |date=26 February 2003 |title=Fyffe to be new Bendigo mayor |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2003-02-26/fyffe-to-be-new-bendigo-mayor/1221390 |access-date=13 July 2024 |work=ABC News |language=en-AU}} He was elected a second time by the council in 2004.{{Cite news |date=28 November 2004 |title=New faces join Bendigo council |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2004-11-29/new-faces-join-bendigo-council/593722 |access-date=13 July 2024 |work=ABC News |language=en-AU}} He was elected a third time in 2010.{{Cite web |date=24 November 2010 |title=Rod Fyffe to become mayor of Bendigo |url=https://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/story/712133/rod-fyffe-to-become-mayor-of-bendigo/ |access-date=13 July 2024 |website=Bendigo Advertiser |language=en-AU}} In his fourth and final stint as mayor (2015–2016), Fyffe oversaw the Bendigo Mosque protests. The protests began when the council voted 7–2 to build a mosque in Bendigo, under previous mayor Barry Lyons.{{Cite news |last1=Lenaghan |first1=Peter |last2=Parker |first2=Fiona |date=12 April 2016 |title=Bendigo Mayor defends council amid conduct complaints |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-12/bendigo-mayor-defends-council-performance-amid-complaints/7318704 |access-date=13 July 2024 |work=ABC News |language=en-AU}} Opponents of the mosque attempted to appeal the construction to the High Court of Australia, however the appeal was dismissed by the High Court, therefore allowing construction to proceed, an outcome which was praised by Fyffe.{{Cite news |last=Australian Associated Press |first= |date=15 June 2016 |title=Bendigo mosque: high court throws out request to hear appeal |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/jun/15/bendigo-mosque-high-court-throws-out-request-to-hear-appeal |access-date=13 July 2024 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}
In 2016, he was elected as deputy mayor, serving under mayor Margaret O'Rourke until 2017.{{Cite web |date=8 November 2016 |title=Bendigo mayor and deputy named |url=https://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/story/4280919/bendigo-mayor-and-deputy-named/ |access-date=13 July 2024 |website=Bendigo Advertiser |language=en-AU}} He served once again as deputy mayor from 2018 until 2019. In 2020, Fyffe made another bid for mayor but was unsuccessful, losing to Jennifer Alden.{{Cite web |last=O'Callaghan |first=Tom |date=9 November 2020 |title=Fyffe declares mayoral run in three-cornered contest |url=https://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/story/7003697/fyffe-declares-mayoral-run-in-three-cornered-contest/ |access-date=13 July 2024 |website=Bendigo Advertiser |language=en-AU}}
At the time of his death, Fyffe had served thirty-eight years as Bendigo councillor, having joined the City of Bendigo council in 1983. He was mayor of Bendigo four times and deputy mayor twice.
Personal life
Death
A few days before his death, Fyffe met with councillors of the City of Greater Bendigo to submit a self-written eulogy, detailing his experiences as a Bendigo councillor.{{Cite news |date=13 July 2024 |title=In his own words – for the final time |url=https://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/story/8693772/vale-cr-rod-fyffe-reflects-on-38-years-in-bendigo-council/ |access-date=13 July 2024 |work=Bendigo Advertiser |pages=6}} He died after a long illness on 12 July 2024, at the age of 75.{{Cite web |date=12 July 2024 |title=Vale local government legend, Cr Rod Fyffe OAM |url=https://www.bendigo.vic.gov.au/about-us/news-and-media/vale-local-government-legend-cr-rod-fyffe-oam |access-date=13 July 2024 |website=City of Greater Bendigo |language=en}} Fyffe received tributes from mayor Andrea Metcalf, federal member for Bendigo Lisa Chesters, state member for Bendigo West Maree Edwards, and Victorian premier Jacinta Allan (state member for Bendigo East), among others.{{Cite web |last=Carswell |first=Adam |date=2024-07-12 |title=City mourns the passing of Cr Rod Fyffe OAM |url=https://timesnewsgroup.com.au/bendigotimes/news/city-mourns-the-passing-of-cr-rod-fyffe-oam/ |access-date=2024-10-13 |website=Bendigo Times |language=en-AU}} His funeral took place on 24 July 2024 at the Bendigo Town Hall.{{Cite web |last=O'Callaghan |first=Tom |date=17 July 2024 |title=Funeral at Bendigo town hall: plans for Rod Fyffe's service revealed |url=https://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/story/8697458/bendigo-to-farewell-former-mayor-rod-fyffe-oam-at-town-hall/ |access-date=18 July 2024 |website=Bendigo Advertiser |language=en-AU}}
Awards and recognition
In 2012, Fyffe was given Mayor Emeritus status by the MAV for his three mayoral terms.{{Cite news |last=Denton |first=Jenny |date=13 July 2024 |title=We dedicated an edition of the Addy to Rod |work=Bendigo Advertiser |pages=6}} In the 2013 Queen's Birthday Honours, Fyffe was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to local government, and to the community.{{Cite web |last=Finlay |first=Alistair |date=22 October 2022 |title=Decades of service acknowledged |url=https://timesnewsgroup.com.au/bendigotimes/news/decades-of-service-acknowledged/ |access-date=13 July 2024 |website=Bendigo Times |language=en-AU}} Fyffe was the recipient of the MAV Victorian Councillor Service Award, being included in the 35 Years' Service category in 2022.
The 7 November 2012 edition of the Bendigo Advertiser was dedicated to Fyffe, whose third term as mayor had ended that day. In 2019, Fyffe appeared on a mural celebrating the history of Bendigo. In April 2025, Fyffe was honoured at the Bendigo Easter Festival, being the namesake for that year's torchlight procession.{{Cite news |last=Carswell |first=Adam |date=7 March 2025 |title=Easter Festival to remember Cr Fyffe |url=https://timesnewsgroup.com.au/bendigotimes/living/easter-festival-to-remember-cr-fyffe/ |access-date=8 March 2025 |work=Bendigo Times |page=8 |volume=5 |issue=10}} Fyffe was noted as being "among one of the most recognisable of Bendigo's residents", and was often dubbed "The Mayor with the Hair" by local media.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Mayors of Bendigo|state=expanded}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fyffe, Rod}}
Category:People from Warracknabeal
Category:Victoria (state) politicians
Category:Monash University alumni
Category:Alumni of the University of Edinburgh
Category:Australian schoolteachers
Category:Mayors of Greater Bendigo
Category:Independent politicians in Australia