Laurence "Barry" Lyons (10 May 1945 – 19 October 2024) was an Australian politician who served as mayor of the City of Greater Bendigo from 2013 to 2014, as a councillor of the

City of Greater Bendigo The City of Greater Bendigo is a local government area in Victoria, Australia, located in the central part of the state. It covers an area of and, in August 2021, had a population of 121,470. It includes the city of Bendigo and the towns of A ...

from 2008 to 2016, and as a councillor of the

Shire of Romsey The Shire of Romsey was a local government area about north-north-west of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The shire covered an area of , and existed from 1862 until 1995. History Romsey was incorporated as a road distri ...

in the 1970s.

Political career

Lyons served as a member of the

council in the 1970s, as a councillor for Lancefield Riding. Lyons was first elected to the

council in the 2008 election in the Kangaroo Flat Ward, achieving 42.04% of the primary vote and 51.76% of the two-candidate preferred vote, defeating incumbent councillor and former mayor David Jones. In the 2012 election, Lyons contested the Lockwood Ward after new three-ward structure was introduced. He was elected with 12.66% of the vote. In November 2013, Lyons was elected mayor by the council for a one-year term. He held the role during a period that included significant public debate over the proposed construction of a mosque in the city. Lyons oversaw the development and completion of several infrastructure projects, including the Kangaroo Flat Leisure Centre (now Gurri Wanyarra) indoor pool, the redevelopment of the Bendigo Library, and the expansion of the

Bendigo Art Gallery Bendigo Art Gallery is an Australian art gallery located in Bendigo, Victoria. It is one of the oldest and largest regional art galleries. History The gallery was founded in 1887. The gallery's collection was first housed in the former Bendig ...

. He was involved in collaboration between local and state governments to support regional development, including sporting facility upgrades and investment initiatives. In the 2016 election, Lyons lost his seat after winning only 9.78% of the primary vote. Lyons once again contested Lockwood Ward in the 2020 election, achieving 13.42% of the primary vote, but failed to win a seat.

Personal life

Lyons married Betty McPherson on 30 October 1964. They had five children. In November 2023, Lyons was diagnosed with

motor neuron disease Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or—in the United States—Lou Gehrig's disease (LGD), is a rare, terminal neurodegenerative disorder that results in the progressive loss of both upper and low ...

. He died on 19 October 2024, aged 79, shortly before his 60th wedding anniversary.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lyons, Barry 1945 births 2024 deaths Mayors of Greater Bendigo Members of the Order of Australia 21st-century mayors of places in Australia