Barry Galton
Posted by Administrator (admin) on Mar 12 2008
2008 >>

Mr LAWLOR (Southport—ALP) (10.02 pm):

The recent death of Barry Galton, one of the mostwidely respected journalists ever to work on the Gold Coast, was met with genuine sadness not only in the Gold Coast community but also across the political divide. Barry was a proud member of the Liberal Party for as long as I can remember. He worked for Rob Borbidge when he was National Party Premier a decade ago and he worked for me in one of my Gold Coast City Council election campaigns. When he worked for me he was criticised and threatened by a few narrow-minded and intolerant people on his own side of politics. However, I suspect the threats only made him more determined to work harder for me! That is the way Barry Galton was. He was a totally professional journalist who, when he undertook a task, whether it was writing a book—and he wrote 10 in all—reporting on this parliament, or working
for me in a council campaign, undertook tasks with precision and without fear.

However, the most outstanding characteristic of his life was his commitment to the community, including the Southport Catholic parish, the surf lifesaving movement, the Southport Surf Club, the
Southport Golf Club, the schools his children attended and the many worthy organisations he was involved in. In an era in which the spirit of voluntary community work is perhaps not as strong as it once was and needs to be, Barry’s death leaves a gaping void.
I mentioned that he wrote 10 books, three of them about the surf lifesaving movement and the national titles in particular. Over the years he played an important role in promoting the surf lifesaving
movement in an honorary capacity. He also wrote the history of the Gold Coast Turf Club. It is a magnificent publication and I know Barry was proud of it. He went about the task of writing the club’s
official history in a most painstakingly precise but very readable way.

I understand that he was the first journalist from the Gold Coast Bulletin, where he worked for many years, to attend the press gallery here on a regular basis. I know from those who worked with him that his approach to the reporting of parliament and political events was wholly professional. His own politics was well known, but that did not detract from his fair reporting of this place and Queensland or Gold Coast politics generally. For many years he mentored young journalists at the Gold Coast Bulletin. They could not have had a better tutor or mentor. Along with many on the Gold Coast, I valued Barry Galton as a good and genuine friend. He
loved life, he lived it to the fullest and it is hard to believe that whether it is the next major surf carnival, the Magic Millions race meeting next week or a community event in Southport Barry will not be there. Our condolences go to his wife, Moira, his children Mark, Kylie and Beth and his three grandchildren.

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