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Tribute to the Hon. John Jobling, AM

Published on: May 2022

Record: HANSARD-1323879322-124455

Tribute to the Hon. John Jobling, AM

Mr DAVID LAYZELL (Upper Hunter) (16:04:16):

I acknowledge the contribution of one of the Upper Hunter's larger than life political figures, the Hon. John Jobling, AM, who sadly passed away on 7 April 2022. John Hughes Jobling's public life began as an alderman on the Muswellbrook Municipality Shire Council between 1968 and 1979. From 1971 to 1974 he was deputy mayor. He then held office as the president and mayor from 1974 until 1984. His civic duty was recognised by his being made an Honorary Freeman of the Shire of Muswellbrook. John—or "Jobbo", as he was known—had a long‑held desire to serve in higher political office. The opportunity finally arrived in 1984 when, as a member of the Liberal Party's Legislative Council ticket, he was elected to the "House of Review".

The Hon. John Jobling would be a member of his beloved Legislative Council until February 2003. It was a career that spanned 18 years, 11 months and five days, complete with the highs and lows of political life, including being a Government Whip and an Opposition Whip. Interestingly, John noted during a discussion for a Legislative Council oral history project in July 2016:

At one stage I was the most northern Liberal past the Hawkesbury. There were only Virginia Chadwick and myself as Liberals in the Hunter.

I am sure that John would have been proud as Punch that the late Hon. Virginia Chadwick was today immortalised with the unveiling of her marble bust in the Legislative Council Chamber. It was the first unveiling of a bust in the Legislative Council in 107 years. Virginia was the first female President of the Legislative Council and the first woman to have a marble bust in the Chamber.

I mentioned that John Jobling was larger than life. This is evident from his CV—I marvel at the energy that he put into the Upper Hunter and especially Muswellbrook. He graduated from the University of Sydney as a pharmacist in 1960 and went looking for a practice in the country, initially deciding on Scone but about 18 months later moving to Muswellbrook. In his valedictory speech in the other place, John recalled that he "became involved, as one does in a country area, in every conceivable activity, from joining societies and organisations to restoring old houses and trying to serve the public". John served as president of Muswellbrook Rotary in 1972. John was a Rotary Paul Harris Fellow and led a Rotary group study team to Tennessee, United States, in 1974.

Service to the Muswellbrook Shire State Emergency Service and Civil Defence was another part of John's contribution to his community. In 1988 he was awarded the National Medal and Bar for service to the State Emergency Service. John Jobling's Muswellbrook of the 1970s and 1980s was experiencing the dawn of the Upper Hunter becoming the electricity generation powerhouse of New South Wales, with the construction of the Liddell and Bayswater power stations. He took a keen interest in the electricity distribution network, becoming chairman of Shortland County Council, the Hunter's local power supplier, and president of the Local Government Energy Association. This evening I have only touched the surface of the John Jobling story—from local government to the New South Wales Parliament, and his service to the community. I express my condolences to the Jobling family on their loss. I also want to say a big "Thank you" to them for sharing Jobbo with Muswellbrook, the Upper Hunter and the State of New South Wales.

Ms FELICITY WILSON (North Shore) (16:08:16):

I thank the member for Upper Hunter for his contribution about John Jobling. What a lion of the Liberal Party John Jobling was. We in the Liberal Party were all very saddened to learn of his passing last month, particularly following the loss of his wife Carole "Linde" Jobling, OAM, a number years ago. She was also a significant contributor to our party. I mentioned her loss in this place at the time of her passing. John was a member of the other place for almost two decades, but that was not in any way the most important of his contributions in life. His love for the Upper Hunter, Muswellbrook and Scone permeated every element of his existence. Even once he was living in Balmain, he never left the Upper Hunter region behind. The artwork on the walls of his Sydney home reflected his Upper Hunter history and heritage—the place that he called home. I thank the member for Upper Hunter for his tribute to John. I give thanks and recognition to John Jobling for his contribution to the Liberal Party and to this Parliament. May he rest in peace.