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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 5 Hansard (27 August) . . Page.. 1424 ..

MR MOORE (continuing):

He was progressively promoted to senior town planning positions with the NCDC which utilised his wide professional knowledge, his methodical approach to problem solving and his creative skills to their full advantage. He became the commission's Director of District Planning and later Director of Metropolitan Planning and Policy. He was the author of quite a number of NCDC technical papers and contributed articles to professional journals as well. A copy of his masters thesis on the planning of the Woden-Weston Creek new town, Canberra's first new town, is in the Australian collection of the National Library. As one of the people who have read that thesis, Mr Speaker, I know that the contribution John made and his understanding of planning and planning concepts in creating Canberra are incredibly important.

John was also responsible for the 1984 report on the Metropolitan Plan, usually referred to as the Y plan and was a staunch defender of the NCDC's policies. It was through his passionate defence of its policies that I first met him. I was introduced by former town planner, Peter Harrison, for whom a previous Assembly expressed its condolences on his death. John was a man of passion, a man of drive and a man of great influence. That is to be admired. There is no doubt that from the time this Assembly was created planning issues have been controversial and we have argued about them. People like John Gilchrist had a clear vision of what they thought the city ought to be about. Their contribution, I think we are all aware, has been significant.

In 1989, as this Assembly began its first days, John Gilchrist began a successful private practice as a consultant specialising in planning, project management and property. He did a number of major consultancies, including a review of the campus of the Australian National University. He was recognised by his peers as a significant contributor to town planning. Those of us who were at his funeral late last week would be aware that the attendance was a measure of who's who in town planning in Australia. Sir John Overall spoke at the funeral. Sir John, the first commissioner with the NCDC, wrote in his book, Canberra Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, that John Gilchrist was one of the people who had made an outstanding contribution to Canberra's planning. Mr Speaker, every member of this Assembly is very proud of the way Canberra is designed. It provides a contrast to John Gilchrist's early life. I am proud to move this motion.

John was a very interesting person. He wanted to be described as a Pommy who left his mark and became a fair dinkum Australian. From my experience of dealing with him, he was certainly a fair dinkum Australian. He told it exactly as it was. I must say that I have been on the receiving end of John Gilchrist at times when he thought I was not doing the job the way he thought it ought to be done, and I am sure other members here have been as well. Through all that, you knew it was not personal. It was about beliefs; it was about direction; it was about ensuring the best possible outcomes in planning, the best possible outcomes for the people of the ACT. He is a man I admired greatly.

Mr Speaker, John is survived by his wife, Marijke; his sons, Peter and Tony; and his daughters, Sharon and Elsa. We have in the gallery today his wife, Marijke, and his daughter Elsa. I share with them this loss. I hope members will join with me in expressing sympathy for the family and ensuring that we record the contribution that this man has made to Canberra.

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