ACTPLA (ACT Place Names Section) is seeking your views on a proposal to name the park bounded by Rutherford Crescent and Officer Crescent in Ainslie, Bill Pye Community Park (see map right), commemorating Mr TTW (Bill) Pye MBE.
Bill Pye was a resident of Ainslie from 1946; he was an outstanding citizen who was extensively involved in his community.
He served with the Australian Military Forces from the outbreak of World War II and then with the United States Forces, seeing action in New Guinea and the Philippines, returning to Australia in 1946.
He settled in Canberra with his family, where he joined the Commonwealth Public Service; most of his public service career was spent with the Department of External Affairs. As an extension of his work he helped a great number of overseas students and other migrants to settle happily in Australia. He retired in 1972.
Bill served three terms as an elected independent member of the original ACT Advisory Council. He was also an elected independent member of the ACT Legislative Assembly and House of Assembly.
He served on the ACT Parole Board and the ACT Health Commission, he was three times president of the Canberra Day Citizens Committee, the forerunner to the Canberra Festival Committee; he was foundation chairman of the ACT Child Welfare Advisory Council; and he was involved with the ACT Kidney Foundation, the Ratepayers Association and the Foundation for Youth. He was a founding member of the Canberra Life Saving Club, the Good Neighbour Council, the Historical Sites and Buildings Committee and the Dickson Community Centre Planning Committee.
He was very active on local school committees during the years of his children’s schooling. He also had a long and busy involvement with the All Saints’ Anglican Church Ainslie.
In 1978 Bill was awarded the MBE for his services to the community, local government and children.
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If you have any comments on this proposal could please send them to Ms. Lorraine Bayliss at ACTPLA via email lorraine.bayliss@act.gov.au by close of business 28 August 2009. If you have any further queries regarding the matter you can also call 6205-0057.
A letter with similar wording to above to this will be delivered to residents in North Ainslie on the weekend of 8/9 August 2009.
Information on the ACT Place Naming processes is outlined on the ACTPLA website