13. Kearsley Chambers
Heading along Vincent St, you will soon see Kearsley Chambers. This is the original building which housed Kearsley Shire Council who were the local government for the area up until they merged with Cessnock Shire Council in 1956. Cessnock Shire Council's first meeting was in 1906, however Kearsley Shire was already in existence at this time. The municipal council continued to use these premises until 1962.
This building has seen some fascinating elements of local history including the much retold story of the controversial James R. Scott. Mr Scott was the original shire clerk who eventually became Councellor Scott and the President of the Cessnock Shire Council. He was also an avid collector of guns and supposedly held a number one licence to carry a revolver in NSW. This fact became very relevant to the sitting members during a colourful incident which is still retold by locals
even to the present time.
This tale that has passed into local legend, is regarding Councellor Scott’s actions during the debate of a certain proposition. He was insistant that he had made the right decision on how to proceed, and equally insistent that the decision was the one the council was going to adopt. At this meeting, one councellor moved a motion of dissent against the ruling. On hearing this, Councellor Scott pulled out a pistol, set it on the table in front of him, and asked calmly “and who is going to second the motion?”. The resolution lapsed for want of a councellor brave enough to second it.
Councellor Scott was only President for a total of 3 months. On the morning of February 2nd, 1925 Councellor Scott locked the council offices and refused entry to any person. Eventually a side window was forced open and Scott opened the door to tell police to “arrest that man”, however he was knocked down by a crowd of around 200 people who pushed Councellor Scott away and held the door. A meeting soon after passed a motion that Councellor Scott was not a “fit and proper person to hold the position of President of the Shire Council.”
According to some locals, Kearsley Shire Council is the only unit of Local Government in the english speaking world to have elected a communist majority. Supposedly it was as a result of this that the Government moved to make voting at Local Government elections compulsory.