Frank Rigby has called Stockton home for most of his life and has a wealth of stories about the area’s history and community. “It’s always been a great place to live,” Frank says. “You’ve got the river on one side, and I love fishing, and the beach on the other side, and I love surfing!”
After leaving school, Frank began his career as a ship’s plumber at the state dockyard. It was a profession deeply rooted in his family. “My dad and both my brothers were plumbers too” Frank recalls.
In the early days of shipbuilding, pipe bending was done by hand. Workers would fill pipes with sand, heat them and carefully bend them into shape to prevent them from collapsing. “That was before the new workshop opened with a machine to bend the pipes,” Frank remembers. To obtain his plumber’s licence, Frank had to leave the dockyard for 12 months to gain experience in general plumbing and complete his studies. After becoming formally qualified, he returned and eventually became Foreman of the Plumbers and Coppersmith’s Shop in Carrington.
Frank’s dedication to the community extended beyond his trade. Inspired by local advocate and future Lord Mayor Joy Cummings, Frank became involved in the Labor Party. His commitment to public service led to a long and distinguished career as a Newcastle City Councillor, representing the Stockton and Carrington area. One of his proudest achievements involved the redevelopment of a former coal mining site. After visiting the United States and learning how disused land could be transformed into useful community assets, Frank championed the conversion of the site into a managed landfill facility. The centre later became an important part of Newcastle’s waste management strategy, now known as the Summerland Waste Management Centre. An education program is run there for schools, with the Education Centre being named in Frank’s honour.
During his years on Newcastle City Council, Frank also served as Deputy Lord Mayor, a role he remembers with great pride. Despite his many achievements, Frank remains humble. While out with the Stockton Walking Group, he often jokes that he wishes he had done more to improve the local footpaths. Frank’s lifelong dedication to his trade, his community, and the people of Stockton has left a lasting legacy, and we are delighted to have Frank as a resident with us at Moran Stockton.