Katherine's longest-serving Mayor and recipient of an Order of Australia medal, Jimmy Forscutt, has died.
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Known as the 'People's Mayor' of Katherine and called Uncle Jimmy by locals, Mr Forscutt served his community with 16 years as Mayor and 23 years as Alderman of Katherine Town Council.
Among his achievements were standing alongside then Prime Minister Bob Hawke for first the operational launch (1988) and then the official opening (1989) of the Tindal RAAF Base.
When his beloved town was devastated by the record flood in 1998, and locals were still in shock, trying to figure out whether to leave or stay, Mr Forscutt accompanied NT Government leaders on a mission to Canberra to give the first hand account of the town's virtual destruction.
Then-Prime Minister John Howard ordered the immediate payment of money to get people back on their feet and back into their homes.
He soon followed Mr Forscutt back to Katherine to assure citizens the town would be rebuilt.
"I wanted to look after my community, something to help the town," Mr Forscutt said.
For the humble and much-loved long-term local, Katherine was always home - a home with a bright future "because of tourism, Tindal and the people here".
"The town has a wonderful future I believe," the past president and vice president of the Northern Territory Local Government Association said.
"It is just home to me. It's the people of Katherine who hold you here."
