Finally, full recognition for former Mayor

By Tim Howard

It’s now official. The stretch of road crossing Grafton’s Balun Bindarray Bridge is unmistakably named after the city’s much loved first female Mayor Shirley Adams OAM.

On July 30 in the Clarence Valley Council chambers, the NSW Minister for Regional Transport and Roads rectified a decision that had annoyed almost everyone in Grafton for years.

In a small ceremony the minister officially renamed the road. Simultaneously workers took down the offending signage and replaced it with the new versions.

Family members, son Simon and grand daughter Jessica Lambert, took a drive across the bridge after the ceremony to inspect the new signs.

Originally the stretch of road on the bridge crossing was named Shirley Way, mainly due to a new regulation forbidding using two word names for street signs.

But for the people of Grafton, where Shirley Adams had been a public figure for six decades, the name was an affront.

Shirley’s family led by her husband John, campaigned to have the name changed, as did the MP for Clarence Richie Williamson and the Clarence Valley Council.

As the saying goes, “eventually common sense prevailed” and in June the Minister revealed that she had been able to convince the Geographical Names Board to relent and allow the road to be named Shirley Adams Way.

Sadly Mrs Adams husband John was not able to see the new signs he and his family fought so hard to have installed.

He died early last month soon after he learned the campaign to secure the name change had been successful.

The name Shirley Adams has been synonymous with Grafton since she was crowned Jacaranda Queen in 1952.

Since then Mrs Adams has been the first and only female Mayor of Grafton City Council in 145 years, before its amalgamation in 2004, Jacaranda Festival President in 1976 and 1977, a Jacaranda Festival Life Member and was deeply involved in NSW Girl Guides, the United Hospital Auxiliary, Meals on Wheels, the Clarence River Historical Society, Country Women’s Association, and many other organisations.

Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Jenny Aitchison, Clarence MP Richie Williamson and Clarence Valley Mayor Peter Johnstone with the new signage.

In 1989 she was awarded the Order of Australia Medal.

She died in June 2020 and tributes flowed from around Australia to commemorate her passing.

Ms Aitchison said it was a pleasure to have been part of the move to ensure Shirley Adams was recognised fully in the community she worked so hard for, for so many years.

“Ensuring the road across the new Grafton Bridge is part of that recognition has taken time and effort. I thank everyone involved all for their hard work and look forward to their enjoyment of this recognition for years to come,” she said.

Clarence Valley Council general manager Laura Black said the renaming was something the community expected.

“Clarence Valley Council welcomes the renaming of Shirley Way to Shirley Adams Way,” she said.

“Council has been working for many years to see this the stretch of roadway named ‘Shirley Adams Way’ and appreciates the efforts of Transport for NSW and Minister Aitchison to make this a reality.”

Mrs Adams’ daughter, Virginia Lambert, said her mother was someone who lived to represent the wishes of her community.

“At heart, my mother was the quintessential public servant who listened to and acted on the expressed concerns and needs of those who came to her,”” Ms Lambert said.

“I know she believed a life of service was a calling; a way to live with purpose, which she did so admirably.

“We hope that Shirley’s documented verve for life and her exemplary service will continue to inspire and ‘lead the way’ for future generations; especially for women.”

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