Passing of John Chandler OAM
It is with sadness that we advise of the passing of former Library President and Board Member, Councillor and Mayor John Chandler, OAM.
John was a much-loved and familiar face to many. During his thirty-seven years of involvement with the PMI Victorian History Library he oversaw the redevelopment of our current building on St Edmonds Road and was involved in our transformation into a library specialising in Victoria’s History.
He was also a formidable community leader, first elected to the former City of Prahran Council in 1982, serving as Mayor from 1988 to 1989. He became the first Mayor of Stonnington Council in 1996, following the amalgamation of the former cities of Prahran and Malvern in 1994.
He served as Mayor of the City of Stonnington in the years 1996-1997, 2006-2007 and 2011-2012. He continued to serve as a Stonnington Councillor for North Ward until 2020, when, as then Deputy Mayor, he did not re-contest at the most recent Council election.
He was vocal about State Government planning policies and campaigned tirelessly to ensure Stonnington was protected from over-development due to state planning policies.
He was also actively involved with the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV), serving as a board member from 1997 and chairing its Economics and Finance Advisory Group. Through his work with MAV, he remained a strong voice and supporter of Council and local government.
On behalf of the the PMI Victorian History Library Community offer we condolences to Cr Chandler’s family, including wife Suzy and children Nicholas and Ursula.