Ron Rathbone

In 1968 Ron Rathbone was first elected Mayor of Rockdale and held the position of Mayor for a record four terms.

As well as his council activities, Ron taught at Bexley Primary School for 24 years and was involved with many organisations, including the Rockdale Municipal Orchestra and Opera Company, the Heritage Council of NSW, the Benevolent Society of NSW and the St George Historical Society.

In 1987 he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for Service to Local Government which spanned over 40 years.

Ron had a great love and passion for the City of Rockdale. So much so that he wrote more than 15 books and numerous articles on the history and heritage of our area.

In January 2006, Rockdale City Council decided to honour Ron by establishing the Ron Rathbone Local History Prize. The competition encouraged community members to research, write and tell their stories about people, places and/or events that shaped the Rockdale Local Government Area.

Ron passed away in 2007 with his legacy living on through the annual Ron Rathbone Local History Prize.

Former City of Botany Bay Council and former Rockdale City Council were amalgamated in 2016 to form Bayside Council. The Ron Rathbone Local History Competition now extends to include these two local government areas that both have a long rich and diverse history and cultural heritage.