General News
20 March, 2026
Tributes flow for the late Ray Donald OAM
Mr Donald, 78, died following a brief illness shortly after he moved to Dubbo to be nearer family and officially retire.
Tributes to the late Ray Donald OAM have been flowing in since the former Bogan Shire Council mayor passed away a week ago, and who was farewelled by a large crowd at the Nyngan Uniting Church on Tuesday, March 17, 2026.
Glen Neill, Bogan Shire Mayor
The passing of Ray Donald will leave a void in the lives of all those who were lucky enough to have known him. Ray Donald OAM, a man whose dedication, leadership and quiet strength helped shape our town for generations and that the Nyngan community will be forever grateful for his outstanding contribution to the Bogan shire and surrounds. Every asset you see in Nyngan whether it be the parks and gardens, the roads and the infrastructure throughout the last 30 years Ray was an instrumental part of everything Nyngan is today.
Ray’s service to Nyngan was not simply measured in years of public office, but in the lasting impact he had on the people and the community he loved so deeply. As mayor and a respected community leader, Ray carried the responsibility of leadership with humility, fairness and genuine care for others. He believed deeply in Nyngan, in its people, and in its future.
Beyond the titles and achievements, Ray was also a loving husband, father and grandfather a great stockman and loved his rugby union and his church. Ray will always be remembered as a kind and respected gentleman — someone who treated people with dignity, who valued friendship and community spirit, and who always gave his time generously.
I have had the honour of knowing Ray for longer than I have known most people, Ray became a good friend throughout the years.
Ray was also an outstanding mentor and support for new councillors or anyone showing remotely any interest in becoming a councillor. It was through our time as councillors for the Bogan shire that Ray’s passion for the Bogan shire, local government and western region really became apparent to myself. Ray’s confidence and ability to be able to draw a room and put a motion across from just his memory was remarkable , if you had an argument against a motion Ray had moved , you would want to make damn sure you had done your homework , especially if Ray was certain it was the best outcome , as you most certainly were not going to win against Ray Donald.
Ray’s legacy lives on in the community he helped build and in the many lives he touched along the way. Nyngan is a better place because of Ray Donald, and his contribution will not be forgotten.
Rest in Peace Ray Donald OAM
Rex Wilson OAM, former Mayor of Warren Shire Council
Rural NSW has lost a champion with the passing of Ray Donald OAM who was mayor of Bogan shire for 25 years until recently. He also rose to top of local government in NSW where his contributions were based on common sense as opposed to political point scoring. From the woolshed, sheep yards, and back paddocks of “Rutherglen” the family property, Ray brought an ethos of genuine practical community service to his contributions to local government.
In a world of increasing urbanisation and coastal development as opposed to static or even shrinking rural population strong sensible advocacy is solely needed.
At great personal cost over many years Ray provided this in a factual fashion in Sydney’s Macquarie Street rarefied air where like-minded people can be thin on the ground and engrossed in problems such as over population, traffic congestion, social cohesion. This is not a criticism just a fact of life today.
Bruce Evans, STORMCo leader
One of the STORMco leaders, remembers Ray fondly. “For me, Ray Donald was the face of Nyngan. Apart from being the highly supportive Nyngan mayor during many of our 20 visits, he and Di were at the Nyngan RSL when our STORMco team danced with the Nyngan oldies and of, course, he brought his grandchildren to STORMco. We are saddened by his passing but thankful we had the opportunity to meet a true country gentleman”.
Derek Francis, General Manager Bogan Shire Council
Ray fought for country people, especially Bogan shire country people. He fought for better healthcare, better law and order, better education, better roads, better environmental regulation, and a better town water supply, to name just a few.
In his position as councillor for 30 years and mayor between 1997 and, 2021 it’s not stretching a point to say that Ray dedicated his life to the people of this community.
Before my time in Nyngan, Ray played a big role in bringing the shire and the community together following the flood, and also in securing mining investment which now diversifies our local economy. Many, many community assets and improvements in our shire, too many to name--owe their existence to him. At our oval, showgrounds, in the main street, and in our parks - Ray was the driving force behind numerous trees being planted around Nyngan, something he was particularly passionate about, including National Tree Day and we have a lot more kilometres of sealed bitumen road than we had 20-years-ago. Ray was a strong supporter of our Bogan Shire Medical Centre which now services not only our own residents, but also patients beyond our shire borders.
In 2015, Ray was awarded the Order of Australia Medal in recognition for his service to the community and local government. A truly deserved honour for his lifetime of service. This award acknowledged that his influence on local government stretched far beyond the Bogan shire borders. Ray was elected to the Shires Association of NSW in 2004, became vice president in 2008, and then president in 2011 after which, he became joint president of Local Government NSW following the merger of our industry bodies.
His role in these organisations representing local councils in NSW brought him into contact with premiers, ministers and senior bureaucrats in both state and federal government. Ray used every opportunity he could to make sure they understood how important it was that decisions for the bush weren’t made in an “office overlooking the Harbour Bridge”. Ray found time to be involved with and serve so many community organisations in this town, such as the show society, the Bogan Bulls, the Nyngan Museum, the RSL sub-branch, and he was deeply committed to the Uniting Church and a man of deep faith.
In amongst all of this, Ray always still had time for Bogan shire people. Whether it was people ringing him up, often late at night, or coming to see him at the shire offices, he took his leadership responsibilities very, very seriously. And more than that, he cared about the people of the shire. He would always try and help them, especially when they needed assistance in dealing with the various layers of government bureaucracy and regulation. Ray was a masterful speaker, and I stood behind him on many ANZAC Days wondering how someone could recite like he did.
When I came to Nyngan nearly 15-years-ago as the shire’s new general manager I was immediately struck by Ray’s courtesy, the way he made me and my family feel welcome, and his generosity in making time available to show me around Bogan shire and explain how things work in a rural, smaller council. He made sure that I understood the concept of what he called “small town flexibility” in dealing with the vast regimen of standards, codes, regulations, policies, and all of those things that go in together and dominate local government.
Country Mayors Association (CMA) of NSW
CMA Chairman Mayor, Rick Firman OAM
“Through Local Government and community organisations, Emeritus Mayor Ray Donald OAM gave so much to his community and rural, remote and regional NSW in general. His contributions, his life deserves to be celebrated and will be remembered. Mr Donald’s family have described local government as his calling and I believe that sums it up, and for many of our country Mayors.
The long-serving former Bogan Shire Mayor, Ray Donald OAM passed away this week following a brief illness. He served as a Bogan Shire Councillor for 30 years. Mr Donald was a true Champion for our rural, remote and regional NSW communities, not just his own.
Mr Donald was Deputy Mayor in 1991 – 1997, then Mayor from 1997 until his retirement in 2021. He was elected to the Shires Association Executive in 2004, Vice-President in 2008 and elected President in 2011, serving in that role until March 2013. He also managed to run his family farm near Nyngan.
Mr Donald received the Order of Australia Medal for his services to Local Government. In 2021 he was recognised for his 30 years of service to Local Government, receiving the honorary title as a Patron of LGNSW and was awarded the LGNSW Lifetime Service Award.
CMA Board Member, Immediate past-President of LGNSW and Forbes Shire Mayor Phyllis Miller OAM has joined fellow Local Government leaders in paying tribute to Mr Donald.
Ray’s commitment to his community was unwavering. He dedicated decades to ensuring rural and remote voices were heard at every level of government,” she said. “His passing is deeply felt but his impact will continue for generations.”
“The prayers and thoughts of the CMA Board, our Members and Staff remain with Mrs Donald and her family. Mr Donald will always remain a highly respected member of our CMA Family”, Mayor Firman concluded.
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