Local legends honoured

Penrith Mayor Tricia Hitchen was joined by her Councillor colleagues, Penrith City Council staff and Garry Rumble’s family members and friends for the naming ceremony held at the Garry Rumble Playspace.

Residents of the Penrith Local Government Area will be able to learn more about the City’s rich history at a central reserve and popular playspace as the council honours the work of local legends.

Penrith City Council hosted two ceremonies in June to remember and celebrate the achievements of Teresa James, a passionate environmentalist, and Garry Rumble OAM, a stalwart of the Penrith community.

Family members, friends and colleagues joined Penrith Mayor Tricia Hitchen for the unveiling of commemorative plaques at the newly named Teresa James Reserve in Claremont Meadows, and Garry Rumble Playspace at Pioneer Park in South Penrith.

Cr Hitchen enjoyed hearing stories from their loved ones and was pleased to see residents out in droves to pay their respects for Teresa and Garry.

“It is always hard to lose members of the community who spend their lives making a difference, but to see how respected and adored they are is humbling and really rewarding for their families,” she said.

“Council appreciates what these wonderful people have worked hard to achieve and represent in our City, so it’s only fitting to honour them in a special way.

“In the cases of Teresa James and Garry Rumble, we have named an open space after each of them with a plaque on site detailing their outstanding contributions to the community.

“We hope these become places their families can return to as a way of remembering them, while also educating residents about two local legends who have sadly passed but left behind outstanding legacies for our City.”