Decision details

Moved by Councillor Scully, seconded by the Chair (the Lord Mayor) –

It is resolved that:

(A)        Council note:

(i)           the passing of Victor Pinkerton, social and environmental justice activist, aged 69, on Tuesday 25 October 2022;

(ii)         Victor’s passionate commitment to social justice in Sydney and across NSW. Victor was a tireless activist and organiser, and an enthusiastic and well-loved contributor to knowledge and advocacy on a range of issues important to community, environment, and heritage. Victor was well known for his work opposing WestConnex, coal seam gas and coal mining and overdevelopment, including recent activism against the demolition of Willow Grove, the Western Harbour Tunnel, and the raising of the Warragamba Dam wall, as well as long standing support for LGBTQIA+ rights, Indigenous rights and social justice causes;

(iii)        Victor had a long connection with Sydney: born in King George V Hospital in Camperdown, he completed an apprenticeship as an electrician with Sydney County Council, and went on to spent 18 months in Darwin restoring power to buildings following Cyclone Tracy. He later contributed to the refurbishment of the iconic Queen Victoria Building and the heritage-listed Bondi Outfalls Project;

(iv)        Victor’s activism may have been sparked by an early injustice: his family home in Ultimo was demolished for the Western Distributor in the early 1970s, and throughout his life he continued to fight for the rights of those who found their own places in the city swept away by decisions of government, or who found that people and planet were being left behind in the quest for profit and power;

(v)         he was known for his insightful and funny awareness-raising email newsletters: journalist Wendy Bacon said she considered him a citizen journalist for his careful reading and very regular commentary which kept many informed on the political issues of the day;

(vi)        Victor lived by his father’s words “Treat others the way you’d like to be treated” and was often out providing support for homeless people living under the Wentworth Park viaducts. He was a formative member of the WestConnex protest camp established in Sydney Park in 2016, and he used his technical skills to maintain the camp, to help develop a camp code of conduct and to keep the multi-generational community around the camp connected and committed during the round-the-clock protest and occupation which lasted more than 15 months;

(vii)      Victor was a warm, genuine and caring person, who dedicated himself to the preservation and restoration of Sydney and NSW’s character and natural environment. Community groups across the City have shared their memories of Victor and their gratitude for his advocacy. He always showed up for the issues that mattered, contributed above and beyond the call of duty, and was able to connect to people and communities. His energy and optimism was legendary, and he will be sorely missed;

(B)        all present in the meeting take one minute of silence to honour the memory of Victor Pinkerton; and

(C)        the Lord Mayor be requested to write to Victor Pinkerton’s family expressing the Council's sincere condolences on his passing.

Carried unanimously.

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