A CAREER in local government spanning almost four decades has earned Bathurst Regional Council's general manager a place on the 2026 Australia Day Honours List.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
David Sherley has received the NSW Public Service Medal for outstanding public service to local government and the Bathurst region.
Before his career in local government, Mr Sherley worked for Grace Bros as a financial controller.
From there, he went to Tumut River County Council, giving him his first taste of local government.
The first general purpose council he worked for was Bogan Shire Council, taking up a position there in 1990.
Over the next eight years, he relocated from Nyngan to Narromine Shire Council and then Maitland Council, before taking up a position as the director of corporate services for Bathurst City Council in 1998.
It was a role he thoroughly enjoyed, as it enabled him to oversee a wide range of services valued by the community.
"What attracted me [to the role] was, rather than just handling the normal administrative finance sections of the council, I was in control of a range of the services, including the sale yards, the aquatic centre, childcare, museum, art gallery, entertainment centre, and basketball stadium, which were things that I'd never had before," Mr Sherley said.
"That's what made it attractive and it shows the diversity of jobs that can occur in local government."
Around six years after arriving in Bathurst, he was appointed as the council's general manager.
He was then appointed as the acting general manager through the amalgamation of Bathurst City and Evans Shire councils in the early 2000s, and became the first general manager of the new Bathurst Regional Council in 2005.
To date, he is the only person to hold that position.
He was initially drawn to local government because of the opportunity it presented to give back to his community, and he quickly came to see that it was a line of work that was never boring.
"It is such an interesting job, because you're not doing the same thing every day," Mr Sherley said.
"We provide that many services, ranging anywhere from water, sewer, waste, roads, through to town planning, art galleries and other cultural facilities, community services, and strategic planning.
"It's a stimulating job that's never boring, and it also gives you an opportunity to make your community a better place to live in."
Over his nearly four decades in local government, Mr Sherley has seen a lot of changes, some of which he says will continue to challenge councils across the state.
"I've seen a lot of change," he said.
"There is more and more red tape being implemented, as the various levels of government respond to the demands of the community. There are greater expectations from the community as to the services provided.
"And the sustainability of local government in its current form, including funding, will continue to become more and more difficult."
What people might not know about the GM is that he has also held several voluntary positions that contribute to arts and culture beyond Bathurst.
He spent 10 years as a director of Museums and Galleries of NSW, and then contributed nine years of service to the Australian Museum board as a director.
Since 2023, he has been the director of Wildlife Smart Ltd, a registered charity that operates Koala Smart, which is a conservation-centred educational program for school children.
Mr Sherley believes wholeheartedly in the work of these organisations, and in particular the value cultural facilities provide their communities.
"I just see that cultural facilities such as museums, art galleries and entertainment centres are important to the lifestyle of our community, developing cultural awareness, as well as being important economic drivers for the local economy," he said.
With his interest in this area, it's no surprise that he was instrumental in the conception, development and enhancement of cultural facilities in the Bathurst region, including the Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum and the Bathurst Rail Museum.
This was one of the key things that earned him the Public Service Medal.
Mr Sherley has no idea who nominated him and said he was "very surprised" to find out he would be receiving the Australia Day honour.
"I feel very honoured to get the award. It's great," he said.
Mr Sherley is set to remain with Bathurst council until at least mid-January 2028 following a decision in 2025 to reappoint him as the general manager.
