John Woodward (lawyer)
John Thomas Woodward (born 1 November 1934) is an Australian sportsman, alderman, lawyer and environmental commissioner. Early life. John Thomas Woodward was born in Watsons Bay, Australia on 1 November 1934. He was a keen sailor, member of the Vaucluse Yacht Club. He skippered 'Flying Dutchman' to win the VJ Amateur Sailing Association, Commonwealth Championship of 1952-53 and was Senior Club VJ Champion in 1953-54. Legal career. In 1959, John completed a Bachelor of Laws at University of Sydney. He concluded his direct involvement in the legal profession in 1974 as a solicitor / partner with  Currie & Currie located in King St, Sydney. Political career. John was an alderman from the Kirribilli ward of the North Sydney Council from 1965 to 1974, Deputy Mayor from December 1968 to December 1970, and Mayor of North Sydney from September 1971 to September 1972. From 1976 until 1979, John was Director (in the Premiers Advisory Unit) reporting to Neville Wran, the Premier of NSW. Environmental and planning career. From 1981 to 1992 he was Chairman of the NSW Office of The Commissioners of Inquiry for Environment and Planning and authored (or co-authored) over 55 reports covering planning and  environmental enquiries conducted in NSW during that time. Some of the more notable inquiries included: Between 1993 and 1996, he completed a further three environmental based inquiries: In 1999 he completed an assessment into the amalgamation of the South Sydney, Randwick and Botany Bay councils.