Cobar mayor Lilliane Brady has passed away at the age of 90

Cr Brady was the longest serving female mayor in the state's history, and best known for being an outspoken champion, not just for Cobar, but for Western NSW.

The Cobar Shire Council announced Cr Brady had passed away peacefully Saturday night.

Cr Brady moved to Cobar in the 1960s after her late husband Alan secured a job as the local GP.

In 1974 she ran for council after an elderly man, transferred to Orange due to a lack of aged care facilities in Cobar, died alone.

In 1982, she opened the Lilliane Brady Village, a 34-bed not-for-profit facility including a hostel and a nursing home, plus a multipurpose health centre connecting the village.

She campaigned for her community right up until her death, seeking a new hospital, better infrastructure, and a fairer return of the mining royalties that flow from the town to the NSW Office of State Revenue.

In 2018 she was presented the first-ever Local Government NSW Lifetime Achievement award.

Deputy Cobar Mayor Peter Abbott said Cobar had lost "its Capital C" with the passing of Lilliane Brady.

"Yes it is very hard, this news," Councillor Abbott said. "She was an absolute icon in this neck of the woods. I don't think I could do her justice by mustering enough words about her.

"She had a reputation as being as hard as nails but that was just part of her trying to get things done for Cobar.

"But she was more than that. If you mentioned her husband tears would well up in her eyes, and at times she was very soft and kind.

"I was lucky to have four years under her as deputy mayor and she taught me a lot.

"She wasn't afraid to even take on Cabinet ministers and she embarrassed me several times with the vocabulary that came out of her mouth towards them, but it was all about wanting to get things done for Cobar.

"Cobar has lost its capital C with her passing. She got very frail after her 90^th birthday in December and she just didn't have enough weight in her to fight what she was battling."

A state funeral may be held for her while the family is preparing for a funeral for possibly this Friday.

Mrs Brady was a keen racing enthusiast and had horses in several states and it is not known what will happen to them.

NSW Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall lauded her contribution to western NSW.

"NSW local government, the Cobar community and Western NSW has lost an absolute legend," he said.

"I was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of long-standing and much-loved Cobar Shire Mayor Lilliane Brady OAM early this morning, at the age of 90.

"Lilliane was a staunch and vocal advocate for her community and western NSW. She pulled no punches in fighting for what she believed in and funding and projects for her beloved local people.

"I feel very blessed have worked along side her in my time in local government and now state politics. The years did not diminish her passion and determination to see Cobar flourish.

"She always put the interests of Cobar first and today she leaves an enormous legacy and a wonderful example for other to follow.

"Farewell Lilliane, you were and will always be, an icon of rural NSW and someone who we will never see the likes of again!"

NSW Labor said in a release:

"NSW Labor honours Cobar stalwart Lilliane Brady OAM, the State's longest serving female Mayor who was a fierce advocate for rural and regional NSW and who has died aged 90.

"As the Mayor of Cobar for 20 years and a Councillor for 40, Lilliane was a local legend who showed a deep love and affection for country NSW. She had a reputation for being a straight-talking fighter who wouldn't take no for an answer from politicians and managed to always find funding for everything from hospitals to festivals.

"Lilliane was always prepared to take on any Government to get the best deal for a region where distance often makes life tough.

"Lilliane started her career in local government successfully fighting for a much needed age care facility in the town, which still stands as a testament to her hard work and determination.

"Not only did Lilliane oversee a mining revival in the region, she ensured that Cobar was one of our great outback towns.

"Its regular festivals, including the famous Cobar races, make it a popular tourist spot on the grey nomad trail and for other towns in the region. Lilliane was the driving force behind these events, and locals would regularly stop by her house to borrow a hat or fascinator for race day.

"It is perhaps a fitting tribute that as recently as last Thursday, Lilliane was on the ABC TV program Back Roads tirelessly promoting her town."

The NSW Labor Leader Jodi McKay said "Lilliane's work would benefit generations to come. Lilliane Brady will be remembered as someone who spent her whole life working to make Cobar a better place for everyone," Ms McKay said.

Read also: Cobar's matriarch on being a country mum

"Lilliane was tough and always a fighter for her community. It is difficult to imagine Cobar without its long-time Mayor, who put her heart and soul into fighting for a fair go.

"The whole NSW Labor family sends its love and regard to Lilliane's family and to all those who knew her and worked with her to make Cobar a better place. There was no one more fair dinkum than Lilliane. She was greatly loved not only in Cobar but across New South Wales. Her passing is a great loss for both the regions and the country as a whole."

More to come

The first part of This story first appeared in the Dubbo Daily Liberal