ROBERT Dwyer, former mayor of Glen Innes who spearheaded one of New England's best known tourst attractions, has died aged 88.
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Mr Dwyer served as mayor of then Glen Innes Council from 1998 to 2003.
He was instrumental in establishing the Australian Standing Stones, a monument to the pioneering Celts, in Glen Innes Centennial Parklands, as well as being a key player in attracting the Celtic Festival to the town.
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But Mr Dwyer's first love was the timber industry, which brought him to Glen Innes, his wife Grace said.
"Robert came to Glen Innes to manage the sawmill operated by the correctional facility," Mrs Dwyer said.
"He built a great rapport with the inmates who worked at the sawmill and said it was one of the most significant times in his life."
Born in Grafton, Mr Dwyer spent much of his early life working on stations.
He married Grace in Casino in 1980 and later moved to Glen Innes.
A desire to serve the community and the urging of friends led Mr Dwyer to stand as a councillor at Glen Innes; he eventually served as mayor.
But it was his work with a team of mates to attract and erect the standing stones that he will be mainly remembered, Mrs Dwyer said.
In 1988, the Celtic Council of Australia sought a suitable site to erect the stones in honour of all pioneering Celts. They chose Glen Innes, however, no money was forthcoming.
John Tregurtha, a Glen Innes pharmacist and chairman of the committee delegated to erect the monument, teamed up with bushman and tourism officer Lex Ritchie, to source the stones from nearby bushland.
Once that was done, Mr Dwyer and fellow councillor George Rozynski (a Polish immigrant who had also worked on the Snowy Mountains scheme), helped businessman Ted Nowlan to transport the stones to their current site.
No mean feat, with each stone weighing about 17 tonnes.
"They'd take the big loader out on Saturday night and bring it back with the stones on Sunday afternoon," Mrs Dwyer said.
"Robert sifted the stones and put them together."
Casting around for another project to enhance the town's reputation, Mr Dwyer helped establish the Australian Celtic Festival, which celebrated its 31st anniversary in Glen Innes.
"Robert always said a community is only as good as the people in it, he was very community minded," Mrs Dwyer said.
In 2005, the Dwyers decided to retire to Kyogle, in the Northern Rivers region, to be closer to family.
But that didn't stop Robert from becoming involved in the community there, Kyogle Mayor Kylie Thomas said.
Aged 84, Robert ran in the 2016 council elections.
"He was so dedicated to local government he ran in the last election," Mayor Thomas said.
"He didn't miss a beat and had quite a good showing at the polls."
Outside of council, Mr Dwyer was president of the Kyogle Tidy Town Committee, taking out the state award in 2011.
Mr Dwyer was also a member of the Richmond River Beef Producers Association and a founding member of the committee that built the Kyogle museum.
Glen Innes Severn Council Mayor Robert Banham said Mr Dwyer left a lasting legacy with the Standing Stones and the Celtic Festival.
Mr Dwyer died on Friday, July 21 and is survived by Grace and two stepsons, Grant and Stewart Bulmer and their families.
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