The Maitland MP who brought $150 million worth of improvements to the city including the $30 million Les Darcy Drive bypass road, has died in Sydney.
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Allan Walsh was the Labor member for Maitland in the NSW Legislative Assembly from 1981 to 1991.
Born in Maitland on August 13, 1940, Mr Walsh attended Manly Boys’ High School and Sydney Technical College before receiving a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Newcastle and a Diploma of Education from the Newcastle College of Advanced Education.
He served as a fighter pilot in the RAAF from 1962 until 1970 and was a teacher at Newcastle and Maitland Technical College.
On September 3, 1966, he married Marcia, with whom he had two children, Elise and Liam.
In 1981, when the local state Liberal MP for Maitland resigned, Walsh was selected as the Labor candidate to contest the by-election.
He was narrowly defeated by the Liberal candidate Peter Toms.
However, the 1981 redistribution made Maitland a solid Labor seat and Walsh easily defeated Toms in the state election later the same year.
He was nearly defeated in 1988, surviving by 444 votes, and when the 1991 redistribution gave the seat a 7.4 per cent Liberal margin, Mr Walsh retired from politics.
Former Maitland councillor and Mr Walsh’s campaign director Ray Fairweather said Maitland would always be indebted to Mr Walsh.
“He delivered in every instance, he helped Maitland to progress and made the city a great place to live,” Mr Fairweather said.
“He was held in high esteem by his parliamentary colleagues and he was very popular with everyone.”
Maitland benefited greatly from Mr Walsh’s plans for the city which included buildings, road works and community services.
A new technical college at Metford, new SES headquarters at Metford, a high school at Rutherford and primary schools at Rutherford, Bolwarra and Metford were achieved in his time.
A new police station was also delivered (where it stands today) removing officers from cramped quarters in Sempill Street.
Mr Walsh was able to obtain a $1 million grant for the widening and lengthening of Maitland’s trotting track and funding for the Heritage Mall.
His lobbying improved the condition of Raymond Terrace Road and he secured $450,000 from the NSW government for a new link road between Ken Tubman Drive and Church Street which was named in his honour.
