Clem Jones
| Clem Jones AO | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 8th Lord Mayor of Brisbane | |
|
In office 1961–1975 |
|
| Preceded by | Reg Groom |
| Succeeded by | Bryan Walsh |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
16 January 1918 Ipswich, Queensland, Australia |
| Died | 15 December 2007 Wesley Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Political party | Australian Labor Party |
| Spouse(s) | Sylvia nee Murphy |
| Alma mater | University of Queensland |
| Occupation | Businessman, Philanthropist |
| Profession | Surveyor |
Clem JonesAO (16 January 1918 – 15 December 2007), a surveyor by profession, was the longest serving Lord Mayor of Brisbane, Australia, representing the Australian Labor Party from 1961 to 1975. He was Chair of the Darwin Reconstruction Commission from 1975 to 1978. He was a successful businessman and philanthropist.
During Jones' 15 years in office as the head of the Brisbane City Council, assisted by the Town Clerk J. C. Slaughter, Brisbane underwent considerable change.
In 1961, Brisbane was a city with no town planning, many unpaved streets, limited water supply and few areas with sewers—relying instead on outhouses or septic tanks. Through the 1960s Jones successfully led the council to develop a town plan, seal roads, improve drainage and connect sewers to most of the city. The city council, under his stewardship, purchased city properties to build underground car parks, which were then topped with public parks and gardens.
In the suburbs, land was acquired for open space and parkland. Work started on the development of the Brisbane Botanic Gardens, Mount Coot-tha. Controversially, Jones announced in 1968 the conversion of all tramway routes to diesel bus operation.
In 1971, Jones chose to promote Brisbane as host city for the 1978 Commonwealth Games. Without support from the Queensland Government and due to a lack of preparation, the bid was unsuccessful. Convinced of the benefits and suitability of Brisbane to host the event, Jones completed a winning bid in 1974 for the next games in 1982.
After completing his duties as Lord Mayor in 1975, Jones was briefly the curator at the Brisbane Cricket Ground (the Gabba) and even prepared the wicket for a test match. Jones was also appointed Chairman of the Darwin Reconstruction Commission in 1975 to guide the rebuilding of the city of Darwin after its near destruction by Cyclone Tracy.
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