List of officeholders of Port Macquarie-Hastings Council

Mayor of Port Macquarie-Hastings
Incumbent Peta Pinson since 4 August 2017
Style	Worship
Appointer	Port Macquarie-Hastings Council
Term length	4 years
Formation	24 May 1887(Port Macquarie) 18 December 1906(Hastings) 16 December 1980
Deputy	Cr. Lisa Intemann
Website	www.pmhc.nsw.gov.au

This is a list of officeholders of Port Macquarie-Hastings Council and its predecessors, a local government area of New South Wales, Australia.

The Mayor of the Port Macquarie-Hastings Council since 4 August 2017 is Peta Pinson, an independent politician who joined the National Party in 2023. ^[1]

Mayors, Shire Presidents and General Managers

Municipality of Port Macquarie, 1887–1980

Mayor	Period	Notes
James McInherney	24 May 1887 – 10 February 1890	[2]
Frederick Hayward	10 February 1890 – 16 February 1893	[3]
James Butler	16 February 1893 – 15 February 1894	[4]
Frederick Hayward	15 February 1894 – 11 February 1898	[5]
William Andrew Spence	11 February 1898 – 12 January 1899	[6] [7]
Frederick Hayward	16 January 1899 – 15 February 1901	[8] [9]
Richard Woodlands	15 February 1901 – 14 February 1902	[10]
William Andrew Spence	14 February 1902 – 13 February 1903	[11]
Richard Arthur Ayres	13 February 1903 – 15 February 1904	[12]
Frederick Hayward	15 February 1904 – 19 January 1906	[13]
George Evan Bennett	23 January 1906 – 3 April 1906	[14] [15]
William Rosenbaum	3 April 1906 – February 1910	[16]
Duncan Stewart	February 1910 – 8 February 1916	[17]
John Hooke Hill	8 February 1916 – 20 December 1921	[18]
Albert Denham	20 December 1921 – 11 June 1924	[19]
John Bransdon	11 June 1924 – June 1925	[20] [21]
Alban Charles Elliot	25 June 1925 – 2 March 1936	[22] [23] [24]
Ernest Aubrey Mowle	9 April 1936 – December 1941	[25]
Charles George Orr	December 1941 – December 1944
Charlie Allan Ryan	December 1944 – December 1947
Noel William Walter Joscelyne	December 1947 – December 1948
Charlie Allan Ryan	December 1948 – December 1949
Alfred Leslie Crisp	December 1949 – June 1952
Edmond Francis Brownlow	June 1952 – December 1954	[26]
Duncan Stewart Kennedy	December 1954 – December 1956	[26]
Alfred Leslie Crisp	December 1956 – December 1960	[26]
Duncan Stewart Kennedy	December 1960 – December 1961	[26]
Alfred Leslie Crisp	December 1961 – December 1963	[26]
Duncan Stewart Kennedy	December 1963 – December 1965	[26]
Alfred Leslie Crisp MBE	December 1965 – December 1966	[26]
Cyril Charles Adams	December 1966 – September 1970	[26]
Duncan Stewart Kennedy	September 1970 – September 1971	[26]
Cyril Charles Adams OAM MBE	September 1971 – September 1974	[26]
Norm Matesich	September 1974 – September 1976	[26]
Keith Stevenson	September 1976 – 4 September 1978	[26]
Jim Boardman	4 September 1978 – 16 December 1980	[26]

Hastings Shire, 1906–1980

Shire President	Period	Notes
Patrick Joseph O'Neill	18 December 1906 – February 1908	[26] [27]
Thomas Toms	February 1908 – 21 August 1908	[28]
James Gamack	8 September 1908 – February 1909	[29]
Robert Longworth	February 1909 – February 1910	[26]
John Hooke Hill	February 1910 – February 1911	[26]
James Gamack	February 1911 – February 1912	[26]
Jacob Decan Healey	February 1912 – February 1914	[26]
Albert Edward Rose	February 1914 – February 1915	[26]
John Downes Jnr.	February 1915 – February 1916	[26]
Albert Edward Rose	February 1916 – February 1917	[26]
John Downes Jnr.	February 1917 – February 1918	[26]
William Campbell Lindsay	February 1918 – February 1919	[26]
John Downes Jnr.	February 1919 – February 1920	[26]
Robert Longworth	February 1920 – December 1920	[26]
Henry Warlters Snr.	December 1920 – December 1921	[26]
John James Warrall	December 1921 – December 1925	[26]
Edwin Suters	December 1925 – December 1926	[26]
James Gamack	December 1926 – December 1927	[26]
Thomas Miles Breckenridge	December 1927 – December 1928	[26]
Patrick Henry Secombe	December 1928 – December 1929	[26]
John Downes Jnr.	December 1929 – December 1930	[26]
Albert Edward Rose	December 1930 – December 1931	[26]
William Hastings Blythe	December 1931 – December 1932	[26]
John Downes Jnr.	December 1932 – December 1933	[26]
John James Warrall	December 1933 – December 1934	[26]
Radford Gamack	December 1934 – December 1935	[26]
Robert Barrie Walsh	December 1935 – December 1936	[26]
Albert Edward Rose	December 1936 – December 1937	[26]
John Downes Jnr.	December 1937 – December 1938	[26]
Harold Austin Waller Rose	December 1938 – December 1939	[26]
John James Warrall	December 1939 – December 1940	[26]
Harrie Stewart Bransdon	December 1940 – December 1941	[26]
George Hollis	December 1941 – December 1942	[26]
Charles Perrott	December 1942 – December 1943	[26]
Radford Gamack	December 1943 – December 1944	[26]
Harold Austin Waller Rose	December 1944 – December 1947	[26]
Harrie Stewart Bransdon	December 1947 – December 1955	[26]
George Hollis	December 1955 – December 1956	[26]
Harrie Stewart Bransdon	December 1956 – December 1960	[26]
Harry Warlters	December 1960 – December 1964	[26]
Joseph Robert Andrews	December 1964 – September 1970	[26]
John Abi-Saab	September 1970 – September 1976	[30]
John Joseph Steinmetz	September 1976 – September 1977	[26]
John Abi-Saab	September 1977 – September 1978	[26] [31]
William Poole	September 1978 – 16 December 1980	[26]

Hastings/Port Macquarie-Hastings, 1980–date

Hastings Municipal Council/Hastings Council
Mayor	Party		Period	Notes
Norm Matesich OAM		Independent	16 December 1980 – September 1983	[26] [32]
John Sterndale		Independent	September 1983 – September 1985	[26]
Bob Woodlands		Independent	September 1985 – September 1991	[26]
John Barrett		Independent	September 1991 – September 1992	[26]
Leonard Cooper		Independent	September 1992 – September 1995	[26]
Frank Harrison		Independent	September 1995 – September 1998	[26]
Wayne Richards		Independent	September 1998 – September 2003	[33]
Rob Drew		Independent	September 2003 – 13 July 2005	[33]
Port Macquarie-Hastings Council
Rob Drew		Independent	13 July 2005 – 27 February 2008	[34]
Dick Persson AM (Administrator)		Independent	27 February 2008 – 31 January 2009	[35] [36]
Garry Payne (Administrator)		Independent	31 January 2009 – 29 April 2011	[37]
Neil Porter (Administrator)		Independent	29 April 2011 – 8 September 2012	[38]
Peter Besseling		Independent	8 September 2012 – 8 May 2017	[39]
Lisa Intemann (acting)		Independent	8 May 2017 – 4 August 2017	[40]
Peta Pinson		Independent	4 August 2017 – date	[41] [42]
		National

General Managers

General Manager	Period	Notes
Bernard Smith	2000 – 31 March 2008	[43]
David Mead (acting)	1 April 2008 – 25 August 2008	[43]
Andrew Roach	25 August 2008 – 16 February 2011	[43]
Jeffery Sharp (acting)	16 February 2011 – 18 July 2011	[43]
Tony Hayward	18 July 2011 – 10 February 2014	[44] [45]
Craig Swift-McNair	26 June 2014 – date	[46]

Electoral results

2024

This section is an excerpt from 2024 New South Wales mayoral elections § Port Macquarie-Hastings.[ edit ]

2024 New South Wales mayoral elections: Port Macquarie-Hastings

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Team Roberts	Adam Roberts	21,080	37.8	−17.1 [a]
	Team Lipovac	Nik Lipovac	12,972	23.3	+17.6
	Greens	Lauren Edwards	11,898	21.4	+21.4
	Libertarian	Mark Hornshaw	9,758	17.5	+17.5
Total formal votes			55,708	93.5
Informal votes			3,879	6.5
Turnout			59,587
Two-candidate-preferred result
	Team Roberts	Adam Roberts	25,092	60.1
	Team Lipovac	Nik Lipovac	16,652	39.9
	Team Roberts gain from Team Pinson		Swing	N/A

2021

This section is an excerpt from 2021 New South Wales mayoral elections § Port Macquarie-Hastings.[ edit ]

2021 New South Wales mayoral elections: Port Macquarie-Hastings ^[47]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Team Pinson	Peta Pinson	29,928	54.9	+18.8
	Sheppard Team	Rachel Sheppard	10,212	18.7	+18.7
	Fighters	Lisa Intemann	6,576	12.1	−9.4
	Independent	Steven Gates	4,663	8.6	+8.6
	Hastings First	Nik Lipovac	3,120	5.7	+5.7
Total formal votes			54,499	95.9	+0.1
Informal votes			2,328	4.1	−0.1
Turnout			56,827	85.5
	Team Pinson hold		Swing	+18.83

• Results compared with 2017 Port Macquarie-Hastings mayoral by-election

2017 by-election

This section is an excerpt from 2017 Port Macquarie-Hastings mayoral by-election § Results.[ edit ]

2017 Port Macquarie-Hastings mayoral by-election ^[48]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Peta Pinson	17,590	36.07
	Independent	Robert Turner	14,313	29.35
	Independent	Lisa Intemann	10,491	21.51
	Independent	Sharon Griffiths	3,463	7.10
	Greens	Lauren Edwards	2,914	5.97
Total formal votes			48,771	95.83
Informal votes			2,124	4.17
Turnout			50,895
Two-candidate-preferred result
	Independent	Peta Pinson	20,823	51.07
	Independent	Robert Turner	19,950	48.93
	Independent hold		Swing

Notes

1. Compared with Peta Pinson (Team Pinson) at the 2021 election.

References

1. https://www.nswnationals.org.au/petapinson/
2. "Obituary. Mr. James McInherney J.P." The Port Macquarie News and Hastings River Advocate . New South Wales, Australia. 3 June 1916. p. 5. Retrieved 20 May 2017– via National Library of Australia.
3. "MUNICIPALITY OF PORT MACQUARIE". New South Wales Government Gazette. No. 88. New South Wales, Australia. 18 February 1890. p. 1489. Retrieved 20 May 2017– via National Library of Australia.
4. "MUNICIPALITY OF PORT MACQUARIE". New South Wales Government Gazette. No. 114. New South Wales, Australia. 21 February 1893. p. 1521. Retrieved 20 May 2017– via National Library of Australia.
5. "MUNICIPALITY OF PORT MACQUARIE". New South Wales Government Gazette. No. 108. New South Wales, Australia. 20 February 1894. p. 1182. Retrieved 20 May 2017– via National Library of Australia.
6. "MUNICIPAL DISTRICT OF PORT MACQUARIE". New South Wales Government Gazette. No. 145. New South Wales, Australia. 18 February 1898. p. 1311. Retrieved 20 May 2017– via National Library of Australia.
7. "An Aldermanic Resignation". The Manning River Times And Advocate For The Northern Coast Districts Of New South Wales. Vol. 32, no. 30, 219. New South Wales, Australia. 14 January 1899. p. 6. Retrieved 20 May 2017– via National Library of Australia.
8. "Port Macquarie". The Manning River Times and Advocate for the Northern Coast Districts of New South Wales . Vol. 32, no. 30, 211. New South Wales, Australia. 21 January 1899. p. 4. Retrieved 20 May 2017– via National Library of Australia.
9. "THE MUNICIPAL DISTRICT OF PORT MACQUARIE". New South Wales Government Gazette. No. 72. New South Wales, Australia. 24 January 1899. p. 661. Retrieved 20 May 2017– via National Library of Australia.
10. "MUNICIPAL DISTRICT OF PORT MACQUARIE". Government Gazette Of The State Of New South Wales. No. 145. New South Wales, Australia. 22 February 1901. p. 1425. Retrieved 20 May 2017– via National Library of Australia.
11. "THE MUNICIPAL DISTRICT OF PORT MACQUARIE". Government Gazette Of The State Of New South Wales. No. 153. New South Wales, Australia. 21 February 1902. p. 1502. Retrieved 20 May 2017– via National Library of Australia.
12. "THE MUNICIPAL DISTRICT OF PORT MACQUARIE". Government Gazette Of The State Of New South Wales. No. 89. New South Wales, Australia. 17 February 1903. p. 1441. Retrieved 20 May 2017– via National Library of Australia.
13. "MUNICIPAL DISTRICT OF PORT MACQUARIE". Government Gazette Of The State Of New South Wales. No. 99. New South Wales, Australia. 19 February 1904. p. 1505. Retrieved 20 May 2017– via National Library of Australia.
14. "MUNICIPAL DISTRICT OF PORT MACQUARIE". Government Gazette Of The State Of New South Wales. No. 56. New South Wales, Australia. 30 January 1906. p. 697. Retrieved 20 May 2017– via National Library of Australia.
15. "Port Macquarie". The Manning River Times And Advocate For The Northern Coast Districts Of New South Wales. Vol. 39, no. 30933. New South Wales, Australia. 31 January 1906. p. 3. Retrieved 20 May 2017– via National Library of Australia.
16. "MUNICIPAL DISTRICT OF PORT MACQUARIE". Government Gazette Of The State Of New South Wales. No. 142. New South Wales, Australia. 11 April 1906. p. 2364. Retrieved 20 May 2017– via National Library of Australia.
17. "PERSONAL AND SOCIAL". Macleay Argus . No. 2332. New South Wales, Australia. 19 February 1910. p. 10. Retrieved 20 May 2017– via National Library of Australia.
18. "MUNICIPALITY OF PORT MACQUARIE". Government Gazette Of The State Of New South Wales. No. 35. New South Wales, Australia. 18 February 1916. p. 1174. Retrieved 20 May 2017– via National Library of Australia.
19. "MUNICIPALITY OF PORT MACQUARIE". Government Gazette Of The State Of New South Wales. No. 188. New South Wales, Australia. 23 December 1921. p. 7356. Retrieved 20 May 2017– via National Library of Australia.
20. "Municipal Council". The Port Macquarie News And Hastings River Advocate. New South Wales, Australia. 14 June 1924. p. 4. Retrieved 20 May 2017– via National Library of Australia.
21. "Mainly About People". The Manning River Times And Advocate For The Northern Coast Districts Of New South Wales. Vol. 55, no. 6852. New South Wales, Australia. 10 June 1925. p. 2. Retrieved 20 May 2017– via National Library of Australia.
22. "FIRE AT WOLLONGONG". The Sydney Morning Herald . No. 27, 290. New South Wales, Australia. 23 June 1925. p. 10. Retrieved 20 May 2017– via National Library of Australia.
23. "MAYOR OF PORT MACQUARIE". The Manning River Times And Advocate For The Northern Coast Districts Of New South Wales. Vol. 57, no. 7196. New South Wales, Australia. 14 December 1927. p. 2. Retrieved 20 May 2017– via National Library of Australia.
24. "Municipal Matters at Port Macquarie". The Wingham Chronicle And Manning River Observer. New South Wales, Australia. 3 March 1936. p. 2. Retrieved 20 May 2017– via National Library of Australia.
25. "MUNICIPAL COUNCIL". The Port Macquarie News And Hastings River Advocate. New South Wales, Australia. 11 April 1936. p. 8. Retrieved 20 May 2017– via National Library of Australia.
26. Port Macquarie-Hastings Library (August 2015). Civic Leaders: Port Macquarie Mayors & Hastings Shire Presidents 1887-1980. Port Macquarie-Hastings Council. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
27. Also Mayor of Kempsey, 1919–1920.
28. "Local and General News". The Wingham Chronicle and Manning River Observer . New South Wales, Australia. 22 February 1908. p. 6. Retrieved 6 May 2017– via National Library of Australia.
29. "Hastings Shire Council". The Port Macquarie News and Hastings River Advocate . New South Wales, Australia. 12 September 1908. p. 2. Retrieved 6 May 2017– via National Library of Australia.
30. Langdon, Nicole (11 January 2016). "John Abi-Saab passes away". Wauchope Gazette. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
31. Also Mayor of Strathfield, 2003–2004.
32. "MATESICH, Norman Francis Henry - Medal of the Order of Australia". It's an Honour database. Australian Government. 10 June 1991. Retrieved 2 May 2017. OAM/QB 91 (GENERAL DIVISION). FOR SERVICE TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND TO THE COMMUNITY.
33. "Rob Drew new mayor of Hastings". Port Macquarie News. 26 August 2003. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
34. "Task force says council sacking a warning to others". ABC News. Australia. 6 March 2008. Archived from the original on 22 July 2012. Retrieved 12 April 2008.
35. "COUNCIL SACKED". Port News. 27 February 2008. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
36. "Port Macquarie administrator to quit". ABC News. Australia. 21 January 2009. Archived from the original on 16 July 2012. Retrieved 14 February 2009.
37. Grennan, Harvey (3 May 2011). "Payne the latest council casualty". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
38. "Former council administrator lands position on health board". Port Macquarie News. 24 May 2013. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
39. "IT'S OFFICIAL: BESSELING OUR NEW MAYOR". Port Macquarie News. 8 September 2012. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
40. Daniels, Peter (8 May 2017). "Peter Besseling resigns as mayor | video". Port Macquarie News. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
41. Daniels, Peter (4 August 2017). "It's official: Peta Pinson declared our new mayor | video". Port Macquarie News. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
42. Tisdell, Lisa (2 August 2017). "Mayoral by-election 2017: Peta Pinson is mayor-elect". Port Macquarie News. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
43. "Port Macquarie-Hastings Council: A turbulent timeline". Port Macquarie News. 12 February 2014. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
44. "New General Manager for Port Macquarie Hastings Council". ABC News. 25 May 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
45. "Port Macquarie-Hastings council General Manager sacked". ABC News. 11 February 2014. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
46. Tisdell, Lisa (26 June 2014). "Craig Swift-McNair named new Port Macquarie-Hastings Council GM". Port Macquarie News. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
47. "Port Macquarie-Hastings". ABC News.
48. "Distribution of Preferences Report Mayor Election: Port Macquarie-Hastings". New South Wales Electoral Commission.