T
here are few who have served the community for as long as the Honourable Philip Ruddock AO.
Though first officially entering politics in 1973 when elected the Member for Parramatta, Philip Ruddock’s journey began much sooner.
In the halls of the Hornsby Shire Council Chambers, Philip could be seen attending as a young boy, observing his father, Maxwell Ruddock, as he served as both councillor and mayor. Watching debates, attending citizenship ceremonies, and coming along for Sunday morning meetings for conversation about local affairs, Philip was a keen, budding parliamentarian.
At the tender age of sixteen, Philip garnered news-worthy attention as he campaigned against the 1959 industrialisation of Westleigh.
‘The maps had Westleigh as a residential area at the corner of Duffy Avenue and Quarter Sessions Road. I showed my father the maps. The state government wanted to make the whole of Westleigh an industrial area… totally fraughted,’ explains Philip.
Reminiscing, Philip continues to be proud of his achievement in retaining the area for residential use.
His spark for serving the community Philip received from his father.
‘My father had a passion for the Bushland Shire, he coined the phrase,’ says Philip. ‘He introduced the first tree preservation orders.’
After a successful 43 years in federal parliament, Philip served as Attorney-General and Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs under John Howard, and Chief Government Whip in the House of Representatives under Tony Abbott. Though, there was still work to be done in Philip’s eyes.
‘When I finished in public life… my view was that if I could continue my father’s legacy in helping to protect the overall amenity of this area, I would want to do so,’ says Philip.
The Post had the privilege of visiting Council Chambers with Mayor Philip Ruddock as a tour guide. Inside, there is a wall of past mayors dating back to the first Hornsby President, John Charles Hunt in 1856.
‘Shires have presidents, municipalities have mayors,’ explains Philip, noting that in his own Mayoral photograph, he decided not to wear the chains of office around his neck. The choice was in keeping with Philip’s dedication to retaining Hornsby as the Bushland Shire – always conscious of the natural bush, waterways, and cultural farmland.
Under Mayor Ruddock’s governance, Hornsby Shire Council have a makeup of six Liberal councillors, three Greens councillors, and one Labor councillor.
‘I have endeavoured, and I think I have succeeded in demonstrating, is with goodwill you can bring people together, even when they come with different political perspectives,’ explains Philip. ‘If you look at Hornsby under my leadership, we’ve had better outcomes between Liberals, Greens and Labor then you’ve had amongst different members of council in Ku-ring-gai. With effective leadership, you can try to bring people together to resolve issues.’
His choice to become a member of the Liberal Party was heavily influenced by his father, and his decision holds true even after almost 50 years. ‘The Liberal Party know how to bake a bigger cake, but the Labor Party know how to cut the cake up,’ says Philip, attributing the line to his father. ‘At the moment, if you are looking at the way in which the federal Labor Party is about driving the government to pay more and more, without looking at how you are going to generate the wealth to paid it, it is problematic.’
With this chapter of his political career closing, Philip recognises the sacrifice that his family have had to make for him to serve the community.
‘One thing I don’t acknowledge enough is the support I’ve had from my wife and my two daughters,’ says Philip.
Philip will keep his time occupied with his work advocating for the stateless Rohingya people. After a genocide in 2017, the Rohingya people fled to Banladesh, living on floodplains. Speaking at conferences around the world, and arguing the case for the Rohingya to the United Nations’ Security Council, Philip is trying to resolve the situation, and get the Rohingya people back to their original homes.
Steven Head, CEO of the Hornsby Shire Council, reflects warmly on his time with Philip Ruddock.
‘Mayor Ruddock has been an integral part of the Hornsby Shire Community for many decades. Service is in his blood, and he has dedicated his life to serving the community of his beloved Hornsby Shire,’ says Mr Head. ‘It has been my great pleasure to serve the people of Hornsby Shire alongside Mayor Ruddock. I thank and pay tribute to him for his significant contribution to the community.’
The Post thank the Honourable Philip Ruddock for his impassioned commitment to the people of the Bushland Shire. His legacy will live as a standard for future mayors and parliamentarians on proper, dedicated service.
