Vale Iain Fergusson Stewart

It is with great sadness that Lithgow City Council reflects upon the life of one of its longest serving employees, Mr. Iain Stewart. Iain passed away on Thursday 26 January 2023 after a lengthy illness.

Born on 22 September 1947, Iain was destined to devote his life to public service. Having gained his bachelor’s degree in engineering in 1972, Iain commenced his working career in the Department of Public Works as a Cadet Engineer. Shortly thereafter, in 1973, he took a position at Lithgow City Council as an Assistant Engineer.

Iain’s skill and dedication to his community resulted in his appointment as City Engineer in 1976, Manager of Engineering Services in 1993 and ultimately General Manager of Lithgow City Council in 2000; a position he held until 2005. After a brief sabbatical (as he referred to it), Iain re-joined the ranks of Lithgow City Council in 2009 for another 9 years, leaving the organisation once more in April 2018.

For 41 years, Iain devoted himself to the betterment of the Lithgow community. Over this period, he delivered incredible value through scores of infrastructure projects, the introduction of occupational health and safety standards in the workplace, and even working through the amalgamation of Lithgow Council with Blaxland Shire Council in 1977. Many of the staff he mentored remain employed by the Council today. They recall Iain’s fun-loving, passionate and mischievous spirit, and his perpetual adoration of The Cure.

“Iain Stewart gave immensely to the Lithgow community, the Council, and the staff,” said Lithgow City Council’s Mayor, Councillor Maree Statham. “His legacy will live on in our fond memories and through appreciation of much of the local infrastructure. On behalf of the Lithgow community, I pass my condolences to Iain’s wife, Rona Stewart, and their family. May he rest in peace.”