William James Marshall was born in Sydney in 1927, he was always interested in public service, starting his career with Bankstown council in 1943.

He moved out to the country in 1952, to the small shire of Carrathool near Griffith before moving to Blayney, Braidwood and then to Orange as deputy town clerk in 1968. 

He then became clerk in 1971. 

He presided over some of the biggest council projects of the last 50 years, including Orange’s connection to natural gas in 1987 and the construction of the Orange Civic Centre in 1976.

Denis Gregory was an alderman – which was what councillors were known as during Mr Marshall’s time as clerk –  during the 1970s. 

Mr Gregory remembered Mr Marshall as a “top bloke” who didn’t take sides during some of the major political spats during Mr Marshall’s 15 years as clerk.

“He was a major gentlemen and never had a bad word to say about anyone,” he said. 

“He didn’t take sides, he just did what he had to do. He used to say the council decided what to do and when you’ve decided, we’ll do it.” 

He spent 10 years campaigning the state government to put natural gas in Orange, and was also in office when the Queen visited in 1970 and helped implement a $20 million major augmentation of the sewerage treatment works in 1987, the year he retired.  

Mr Marshall was awarded an OAM for Services to Community and Local Government in 1989 and was instrumental in the recognition and celebration of Banjo Paterson in Orange. 

He was also president of the Show Society, author of ‘A Cultural Portrait of Orange’ and served on the board of Cherrywood Grove Nursing Home. 

Mr Marshall’s wife Marjorie died in February 2017, and he is survived by his seven children, 19 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren. 

His funeral will take place at Holy Trinity Church at 10am this Saturday, January 20. All welcome.