Ted Mack fans prepare to pay tribute in an oration in North Sydney

FRIENDS and family of former mayor and independent state and federal politician Ted Mack will pay tribute to his career at an oration organised by North Sydney Council.

Ted Mack at his home in northern Sydney. Picture: Richard Dobson

• Ted Mack is facing his final days
• By-election voters waiting for ‘another Ted Mack’

FRIENDS and family of Ted Mack will gather next week to pay tribute to his career.

The legendary independent politician was diagnosed with multiple brain tumours last year and is undergoing treatment.

North Sydney Council is hosting an oration to celebrate his achievements and contribution to public life.

“It’s nice to be remembered. I hope that a few people will turn up,” Mr Mack said. “I guess I’m running out of time now.”

Mr Mack is hopeful that he will be able to attend the event. He is currently not in any pain and recently finished a round of chemotherapy at Royal North Shore Hospital.

Mr Mack was a popular mayor of North Sydney Council.

“My memory is starting to go pretty badly, which is a bit of a blow,” he said.

“You are forgetting things you know you haven’t forgotten.

“They did tell me at the start the long-term memory shouldn’t be too badly affected but, whether it’s going to work out that way, I don’t know.”

During treatments Mr Mack lost all his hair but was cheered when it started growing back. However, he is finding that he is tired all the time and that his legs “weigh a ton”.

His family has rallied around him since the diagnosis and friends have got in touch.

“There’s been a fairly solid stream of visitors. I never knew I had so much family,” he said.

“I’ve family ringing from Melbourne who I’ve never met. Quite a string of friends who have sent cards, which is nice.”

He represented the lower north shore at a state and federal level.

Mr Mack doesn’t know how much time he has left. In the coming weeks his medical team is going to have a look at the situation to assess what it plans to do next.

During his career he served as mayor of North Sydney and went on to serve as an independent MP at both state and federal level.

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The Ted Mack Oration is taking place at the Independent Theatre, North Sydney, on March 23. Tickets for the event are free but booking is essential through the council’s website.

1974

Ted Mack is elected to North Sydney Council for the first time.

1980

Mack is elected mayor of North Sydney by council vote. He served subsequent terms in 1981 and 1982 and was elected by popular vote in 1983 and 1987. One of his first actions is to sell the mayoral Mercedes and use the funds to buy community buses. His beloved 1951 Citroen becomes the unofficial mayoral car.

1981

Mack is elected independent state MP for the seat of North Shore, defeating the then Liberal opposition leader Bruce McDonald.

1988

He retires from all public offices before he is due to qualify for a $1 million state parliamentary pension, a protest against the excesses of public political office.

1990

Enters federal politics and wins the seat of North Sydney with a swing of more than 44 per cent, the largest swing to an independent candidate in history. Mack was the only vote against Australian involvement in the 1991 Gulf War.

1996

Mack retires from federal parliament before the general election of that year, once again before he is due to receive his parilamentary pension. He is succeeded by future federal treasurer Joe Hockey.

1997

He is elected one of 100 ‘National Living Treasures’ in an election by the National Trust.

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