Councillor Bob Fitzgerald OAM was elected to Blacktown City Council in December 2021. Community representative and advocate, he represents the community on Council’s Youth Advisory Committee.
Councillor Fitzgerald spent 36 years serving the community and is a Chief Inspector of NSW Police attached to the Blacktown Police Command. In 2000, he was the Police Venue Commander for the Blacktown Olympic Centre baseball, softball Olympic venues and the training venue for Olympic athletics. He is a life member of Blacktown City Rugby League, Soccer and Netball sporting associations.
Other community work includes board member of NSW Centre for Volunteering and Blacktown Venue Management, member of NSW Cancer Council, Sydwest Multicultural Services, Blacktown Area Community Centres Inc., Mount Druitt Ethnic Community Association, Blacktown City Netball Association and Eastern Creek Pioneers Netball. He is also involved with the Australian Kookaburra Kids Foundation which supports children with mental illness. He helps raise awareness of health issues through the Law Enforcement Torch Run (NSW) for Special Olympics, Convoy for Kids Sydney, and Blacktown Relay for Life.
Councillor Fitzgerald was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the King’s Birthday 2023 Honours List for his service to the community of Blacktown.
Councillor Fitzgerald was awarded the 2000 International Olympic Committee Certificate of Olympic Merit in recognition of services rendered to the XXVII Olympiad Sydney. In 2016 he was Blacktown City’s Australia Day Citizen of the Year and served as Australia Day Ambassador between 2019 and 2022 for Penrith City, Forbes, Inverell and Federation Councils.
In appreciation of his work to promote friendly relations across cultures, Councillor Fitzgerald was made a Rotary International Paul Harris Fellow in 2017. The following year he became a Western Sydney University Community Fellow in recognition of his contribution to the Western Sydney region. The same year he was made NSW Police Ambassador Special Olympics Australia National Games Adelaide. Awarded Blacktown City Sports Volunteer 2019, he was also awarded the NSW Volunteer of the Year 2019 and in 2020 received the Blacktown Mayoral Shield Sports Award.
A proud resident of Blacktown City and devoted family man with 7 children and 6 grandchildren, Councillor Fitzgerald is committed to family, community, environment and sport for all Blacktown City residents.