Remember when: Gold Coast political axes were sharpened for Sir Bruce ahead of 1976 poll

THE political axes were being sharpened for the 1976 city council elections and one of the early target was the Gold Coast’s oldest politician — Sir Bruce Small.

Flashback: Political axes sharpened

Gold Coast Bulletin, Thursday June 26, 1975

THE political axes were being sharpened for the 1976 city council elections and one of the early target was the Gold Coast’s oldest politician — Sir Bruce Small.

But the then-79-year-old paused in the middle of a tourism promotion campaign in Sydney to shrug off claims he was under attack by dissatisfied members of the National Party.

“It’s the sort of story you would expect to be spread by my political opponents,” he said.

Sir Bruce was one figure in a political triangle which provoked increased speculation in Gold Coast political circles.

The other figures included Mayor Robert Neumann and Alderman Norm Rix.

Ald. Neumann did not belong to any political organisation but was known to have friends in the Labor Party but had been disenchanted by the performance of the Whitlam Federal Government.

Ald. Rix described himself as a “Coalition supporter”, was a member of the National Party and had previously been a member of the Liberal Party for a brief period in 1974 during that party’s infighting for a suitable candidate in the seat of Albert.

Both Ald. Rix and Small were tipped as opposition for Ald. Neumann for the mayoralty.

Labor had already announced it would stand divisional candidates at the poll while it was also tipped the United Council of Progress Associations would field candidates too.

Ultimately Sir Bruce recontested the mayoralty and defeated Ald. Neumann for re-election while Ald. Rix ran in his ward and won.

Ald. Neumann’s political career ended while both Small and Rix remained in power until the council was sacked in 1978.