OAM, QM, Rotary PHF, FAICD, Knight of the Southern
Cross
Community leader, businessman, philanthropist
Michael Thomas Tynan was born in Carlton, New
South Wales, on 29 August 1935. He was the son of Patrick Hughes Tynan
(1895-1981) and his wife Madeline (1904-1960), nee Irwin, who were married at
Randwick on 13 January 1929. Patrick worked at Toohey’s Brewery as a truck
driver for thirty years. He was a WW1 veteran, a former boxer and had played
Rugby League in the Newtown area.
After their
marriage, Patrick and Madeline moved to Carlton and had five children -
Margaret, John, Michael (21/8/35-1/2/2016), Anthony Peter (23/3/40-21/11/2016),
and Peter Joseph (10/11/45-25/7/2013). The children attended St.Patrick’s School
at Kogarah and the boys progressed to Marist Brothers’ at Kogarah. John became
an electrical contractor, Anthony a doctor and Peter an electrician and later
company director.
Michael left school
after Year 10. For two years he worked on a dairy farm at Hoxton Park before
taking a job in the jewellery department of a warehouse which supplied a wide
range of goods to country and city stores. At the age of twenty one he opened
his own jewellery shop in Railway Parade, Kogarah and became associated with the
St. George Rugby League Club presenting a watch to the ‘man of the match’ from
the weekend game.
In 1959 Michael
Tynan married Mary Annette Goyan, the eldest daughter of James Goyan, a builder
who, in the 1960s, developed the swampland at Gwawley Bay into the suburb of
Sylvania Waters. Michael and Mary made their home in Sylvania Waters and raised
five children - Kieran, Madeline, Daniel, Francene and Claire.
Michael Tynan’s
hobby was rally driving. He raced cars, mainly on dirt roads, for companies such
as General Motors (GM) and British Motor Corporation (BMC). After the birth of
his third child, Michael decided to give up rally driving but was asked to drive
a sporty, new Mazda 1500 Luce in an upcoming event. After his glowing report on
the car’s performance, he was offered the Mazda franchise for the Sutherland
Shire. He began selling cars from an old Total petrol station on Princes
Highway, Sutherland
Operating for more than fifty years the business
has grown into Tynan Motors, a multi-franchise operation with 300 employees,
selling fourteen different makes of vehicles from seven locations in the Shire,
Wollongong and Nowra. Many family members are closely associated with the
business.
Through his company, Michael Tynan supported many community
organisations and charities such as the St.George and Sutherland Medical
Research Foundation, Hazelhurst Regional Gallery and Arts Centre, the
Leader-Tynan Honda Sports Star of the Year awards and the Sharks and Dragons NRL
clubs. He was a strong supporter of Calvary Hospital for more than 35 years
serving as chairman of the hospital board and a community advisory board, and on
the national board of Calvary Health Care.
Michael
Tynan served on the Sutherland Shire Council for eighteen years from 1974 and
was President (Mayor) 1975-78 and 1988-89 supporting economic development,
investment and creation of local jobs. He led a restructure of council in 1998
and challenged everyone to work towards a better Sutherland Shire. Projects like
the upgrade of the Sutherland Leisure Centre and the Cronulla Mall were
developed and there was strong support from the council for the Rural Fire
Service and emergency services volunteers. After leaving the council, he
continued to be very influential in the Liberal Party in the Shire.
He was President of the Motor Traders
Association and a member of the board of the NRMA for 12 years from 2003.
During his nine years as deputy president and head of
the finance committee, he helped turn around the organisation which had been
severely affected by factional fighting during its post-demutualisation years.
The NRMA now has a secure future as a financially strong, member-driven
organisation with more than 2.4 million members thanks to his leadership.
Michael Tynan was awarded a Medal of the Order
of Australia (OAM), Queen’s Medal and Australian Bicentennial Medal. He was
recognised by Rotary (PHF), made a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company
Directors (FAICD) and made a Knight of the Southern Cross by the Catholic
Church.
Michael Tynan died on 1 February, 2016, at his
home in Sylvania Waters. The announcement of his death was followed by a flood
of tributes from a wide range of people agreeing with Cook MP(now PM) Scott
Morrison in recognising a man who ‘gave
a lifetime of service, commitment and contribution in his civic, community and
business life … a man of strong faith, values and decency who loved and cared
deeply for his family’.
A Requiem Mass took place at Star of the Sea
Catholic Church, Miranda after which interment was at Woronora Cemetery.
In 2016, Michael’s daughter, Madeline, launched
the Michael Tynan Memorial Challenge to celebrate her father’s life and raise
funds for the St.George and Sutherland Medical Research foundation and
University of Wollongong Medical Research. In its first year $520,000 was raised
as participants on land and water between Wollongong and Sutherland attracted
donations.
It has now become an annual event supporting research for mental
health, acute brain injury, blood clot research, aged care disease and
management of back pain.
Michael Tynan’s legacy lives on.
Colleen Passfield 2018
For more information about Michael Thomas Tynan
see St George & Sutherland Shire
Leader 4 February, 2016
www.theleader.com.au/story/3705660/shire-will-come-to-a-halt-for-michael-tynan-funeral
Click on the name at the heading on this story to access the Database entry for
Michael Thomas Tynan.
REFERENCES:
NSW BDM
Ancestry
Olsen’s Funerals
Sutherland Shire Council
Marist Brothers’ College, Kogarah
Daily Telegraph
Sydney Morning Herald
The Leader
