Vale Neil Macindoe

By Ted McKeown, Bulletin 7 of 2025, September

Neil Macindoe and his wife Jan joined the Glebe Society in 1977 and were members for 48 of the Society’s 56 years of existence. They both served as Presidents of the Society, but Neil’s major contribution was as convenor of the Planning Subcommittee for many years.

Outside the Glebe Society, Neil is possibly best remembered for his starring role in the documentary film Rats in the Ranks, dealing with the skullduggery within Leichhardt Council and the Labor Party that saw Neil prevented from becoming the Mayor of Leichhardt. A lot of water has flowed under the bridge since then, but I am sure Neil never forgot or forgave the ‘rats’ mentioned in the film’s title.

Neil was, until his retirement, a TAFE teacher of English and Communication. After his retirement, he threw himself into community affairs. In 2011 I supported the nomination of Neil for an award in the Order of Australia, and he was awarded a Medal of the Order (OAM) the following year.

As a tribute to Neil, I think I can do no better than to quote what I then wrote to the Australian Honours and Awards Secretariat:

Mr Macindoe’s nomination refers principally to his service to heritage conservation in the Glebe area, and to the community.  In particular, it refers to his service as:

• Planning Convenor of The Glebe Society Inc;
• inaugural President of City U3A Inc; and
• a Councillor of Leichhardt Municipal Council.

I understand that the Order of Australia recognises outstanding or meritorious service, and not simply the performance of the ordinary duties of someone holding public office or an office in a community organisation.  However, I confirm that in my view Mr Macindoe has rendered service to the Glebe community and to the wider community in the Inner-West of Sydney far above and beyond the ordinary course of duty.

I have known Neil Macindoe and his wife Jan as neighbours and friends for more than 30 years.  Both of them have served (as have I) as Presidents of The Glebe Society Inc, a resident action group established in 1969.  The Society has been instrumental in saving Glebe as a uniquely vibrant and diverse architectural, social and cultural centre in Sydney.  Nobody has contributed more to the successes of the Society over the years than has Neil Macindoe, particularly in his role as its Planning Convenor.  In that role, he considers all relevant development proposals coming before the Council (originally the Council of the Municipality of Leichhardt, and now the Council of the City of Sydney), advises the members of the Society of their merits and demerits, and where necessary drafts objections on behalf of the Society.  Because of the intellectual rigour he brings to these submissions, they are always considered seriously by the Council and developers, and are generally successful.  He has been largely responsible for a substantial number of heritage listings in Glebe and other Inner-West areas.

Recently, he has taken responsibility on behalf of The Glebe Society for the preparation of a number of self-guided web-based walking tours in Glebe – see www.glebewalks.com.au. These walks have had a huge community response, both within and outside Glebe.

In 1990, Neil decided that he could better serve the community if he were able to be a Councillor on Leichhardt Municipal Council.  He therefore sought preselection as a Labor Party candidate, and was duly elected in that year.  He served as a Councillor until 1999.  Because of his dual roles as Councillor and Planning Convenor of the Glebe Society, he did a Masters degree in town planning, in his own time and at his own expense.  This obviously made any comments he had to make on behalf of either body considerably more informed and authoritative.  To my knowledge, he is one of very few local government representatives who have become so qualified.

City U3A Inc came into existence following a public meeting in November 2008.  Neil Macindoe and I were both members of the steering committee formed to bring this about.  Largely because of his considerable public profile within the City of Sydney, he was elected the inaugural President of the organisation, a position he held for two years.  He was largely responsible for putting together a successful application for a grant of $5,000.00 from Sydney City Council, without which the U3A could not have been successfully established.

I know personally a number of awardees within the Order of Australia.  In my opinion, Neil Macindoe is probably the strongest of them in his candidature.  I have no hesitation in supporting his nomination.

Neil died in June this year.  He was a good friend for most of Alison’s and my life in Glebe, and we will miss him. Our condolences go to Jan, to their children Owen and Ingrid, and to their grandchildren.