It is with great sadness that I report to the House the passing of Charlestown stalwart Gordon Hughes, a former Deputy Mayor of Lake Macquarie, a long-serving councillor and a significant contributor to the City of Lake Macquarie. Gordon was a well-known businessman with a strong focus on the economic growth of the City of Lake Macquarie. He was instrumental in establishing the Lake Macquarie Business Growth Centre and was a member of the Charlestown Urban Committee from 1963to 1974. Gordon was also very active in community life, volunteering his time to a range of organisations including Rotary, Meals on Wheels, the Charlestown Caring Group and the Charlestown and Garden Suburb Uniting Church. Gordon was awarded a Local Government Association Service Medal and a Centenary Medal in 2001 and received his treasured Medal of the Order of Australia [OAM] in 2016. I attended Gordon's funeral yesterday, where his family shared wonderful stories about Gordon, the husband of Shirley, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and committed community man. Rest in peace, Gordon, the man I affectionately called "MrCharlestown".