City of Adelaide Oral History (Extension) Project 2011/2012 OH 114 Interview with Councillor Michael Llewellyn-Smith Former City Planner and Town Clerk/Chief Executive Officer Conducted by Madeleine Regan 9 March 2012 Table of contents Table of contents ........................................................................................................................... ii The City of Adelaide Oral History Project ........................................................................... iii Biographical note ......................................................................................................................... iv Photographs .................................................................................................................................... v Transcript of first interview (9 March 2012) ...................................................................... 1 Transcript of second interview (30 March 2012) ........................................................... 33 Transcript of third interview (20 April 2012) ................................................................. 54 Transcript of fourth interview (3 May 2012) ................................................................... 78 Transcript of fifth interview (30 May 2012) ................................................................... 101 Timed summary*, first interview, 9th March 2012 ....................................................... 129 Timed summary, second interview, 30 March 2012 .................................................... 132 Timed summary, third interview, 20 April 2012 .......................................................... 134 Timed summary, fourth interview, 3 May 2012 ............................................................ 136 Timed summary, fifth interview, 30 May 2012 .............................................................. 138 *A timed summary provides an outline of the content of an Oral History interview, and keywords that make it possible to navigate the recording of the interview. ii The City of Adelaide Oral History Project As part of its concern to preserve evidence of Adelaide’s past, the Adelaide City Council established an Oral History Project in 1984 to conduct recorded interviews with persons who had made a notable contribution to the City of Adelaide. This included former Lord Mayors, Councillors and long serving former Corporation staff, as well as long-time City residents, business and community identities. The project coincided with the lead up to the State’s 150 Jubilee in 1986, the national Bicentennial in 1988, and the Corporation’s own 150th birthday celebrations in 1990. The Oral History Project concluded in 2000, but was revived in 2011 at the time of the State’s 175th celebrations in order to capture the experiences and memories of more people closely associated with the City. This interview forms part of what is known as the Oral History (Extension) Project. The oral history interviews provide a record of the City and its Council’s past that complements the historic documents held by the City Archives. Copyright in the recordings and transcripts is shared by the Council and the interviewee for the duration of the interviewee’s life and vests wholly in the Council on the death of the interviewee. Access to recordings and transcripts for either research or public use is governed by any restrictions imposed by the interviewee during his or her lifetime, and subsequently by the Council. iii Biographical note Michael Llewellyn-Smith was born in South Wales on 28 November 1942. His father was a Methodist Minister who had three-year appointments at different churches before the family moved to London when Michael was 14 years. After secondary school he studied Architecture at Cambridge, and opted to spend a year in the office of Sir Roy Grounds in Melbourne as part of his practicum year. His interest in Town Planning developed in his first job in a private firm in a London Borough, and he experienced the significance of development control. After winning a Commonwealth Scholarship in 1970, he studied a Masters Degree at Sydney University, where he also lectured in first year Architecture. His thesis on pedestrian movement in Sydney provided a foundation for his work on the City of Sydney Strategic Plan. He was appointed as Chief Planning Officer then Deputy City Planner with the City of Sydney Council, and worked closely with George Clarke, the Planner who developed the City of Adelaide Planning Study 1973 - 1974. Michael was appointed as the first City Planner in the Adelaide City Council, 1974 – 1982, and during this time worked closely with the Government on planning and development issues for the City of Adelaide, and was a Commissioner on the City of Adelaide Planning Commission 1977 – 1982. Michael was subsequently appointed as Town Clerk/City Manager 1982 – 1994. After his resignation he took on other roles in local government, worked in his own consultancy and was City Manager at the Prospect Council 1995 - 2002. He was Deputy Presiding Member the State Government Development Assessment Commission 1998 - 2001, and the Presiding Member of the Major Developments Panel and Development Assessment Commission 2001 – 2008. In 2010 he completed a PhD and his thesis focused on planning from 1972 – 1993 in the context of City/State relations in the City of Adelaide. In 2010 Michael was elected Area Councillor in the Adelaide City Council. In this interview Michael describes early family life; study and opportunities to gain work experience in Australia as part of his degree; his working life in London and Sydney; appointment as the first City Planner in the Adelaide City Council; and the steps involved in the implementation of the first City of Adelaide Plan. He explains the development and benefits of City/State relationships and the significance of strategic planning in the Council. Michael provides details about issues related to planning in Adelaide: the vision of Colonel William Light; the Park Lands; and the need to balance business and residential populations and activities in the City. Michael reflects on issues that were significant for his roles as both City Planner and Town Clerk/City Manager during the 1970s, ‘80s and early ‘90s. These include: initiatives to increase the number of people living in the City including public housing accommodation; heritage and development debates; leadership of the Lord Mayors under whom he served and Government personnel; the profile of Council in the community. He outlines his achievements in the context of the Adelaide City Council; his working life post the Adelaide City Council; his PhD; changes in the City; his current role as Area Councillor; and his close relationship to the City of Adelaide. iv Photographs Michael, with his parents, c1952/1953 Town Clerk, January 1982 Area Councillor, 2010 v FIRST INTERVIEW WITH COUNCILLOR MICHAEL LLEWELLYN-SMITH RECORDED BY MADELEINE REGAN in the Adelaide City Council, Adelaide on Friday 9th March 2012 Transcript of first interview (9 March 2012) Oral Historian (OH): Michael, thank you very much for agreeing to this interview, and also for agreeing to the copyright conditions. We’re going to start with a bit of an overview of your background. Could you give me your full name and date of birth? Michael Llewellyn-Smith (ML-S): Michael John Llewellyn-Smith – 28 November 1942. OH: And where were you born? ML-S: I was born within a stone’s throw of Tintern Abbey in Monmouth, South Wales. OH: And your name, were you given your name for any significance in your family? ML-S: Not that I’m aware of actually, no, no I don’t think so. OH: And what were your parents’names? ML-S: My father was Raymond, and my mother was Nesta. OH: And can you give me just a little bit of background about your parents? ML-S: My father was from a long line of Welsh Methodist Ministers, born and brought up in South Wales themselves. My mother is also from a long line of Welsh farmers actually from mid-Wales, and they met in a place called Bridgend in South Wales, and lived there until my father got moved to Tintern where I was born. OH: And did you grow up entirely in Wales? ML-S: Until I was about 14 or so, but we did move around because the Methodist Ministers basically had a three-year time at a particular church, and so we did spend time, I think I was in Tintern for about 18 months. So I really don’t remember Tintern at all, but the next posting was to Tenby and I do remember Tenby. My first memories are actually the bonfires on Tenby beach at the cessation of the war. And after Tenby spent time in Cardiff and 1 Neath, and I was at Neath Grammar School, and then went to school in London when my father got transferred to London. OH: And what was that experience like of moving to a very large city? ML-S: It was really quite traumatic in lots of ways. I’m an only child but I have lots of first cousins, and growing up in Wales really felt like a close extended family. And so, going to London with quite a different network, both family and indeed even in the church connections, and going to an English public school was quite a shock to my system at that age. It was very different. OH: And in terms of influences in your family as you grew up, who would have been the major influences? ML-S: Certainly my father in terms of the sort of values which I inherited, just his whole approach to how he was bringing me up I suppose, was really important, and so he’d certainly be the most important influence. OH: