Cr Kirk was speaking following Mr Rudd’s passing at Waminda Aged Care facility on Friday night.

On Saturday, the Mayor fondly remembered his dealings with Jockey. 

“When I moved back to Goulburn in 1991 to manage the Commonwealth Bank we soon became friends, mainly through our rugby league,” he said.

Jockey loved the game but never played. It didn’t stop him swapping many yarns and opinions about the local teams’ fortunes.

He became a familiar daily face at the bank.

“He used to call in and move along the enquiry counter, saying hello to everyone, giving the girls a kiss and a lolly,” Cr Kirk laughed.

“...He had this network across town that saw him move from one place to another on a regular basis just to say hello and chew the fat. He was just one of those amazing local people.” 

The Mayor fondly recalled turning up to the Goulburn races and seeing Jockey at his usual spot, the gatehouse, wearing his defining ‘porky pie’ hat and handing out race guides.

Cr Kirk said he was saddened to hear of his passing. He had visited Jockey at the Bourke Street Health Service several months ago, taking time to also drop in on another Goulburn favourite, Wendell Rosewarne.

“Jockey was just one of those unique individuals, a part of the character of the town,” Cr Kirk said.

“He created such an impression, was all engaging, all involved, always encouraging, enthusiastic, appreciative and modest.

“He was a true gentleman of the community and I doubt we’ll ever see his like replaced.”

Geoff Kettle has a cap in his office that takes pride of place among mementos collected from his days as Mayor of Goulburn Mulwaree.

The cap, with ‘I Love this City’ emblazoned across its front was given to him by Allan ‘Jockey’ Rudd.

It was a name of a racehorse running a string of wins on metropolitan courses but which some thought Jockey Rudd owned himself. Jockey followed the horse faithfully just because it summed up his love of Goulburn.

“I treasure that,” Mr Kettle said on Saturday following Jockey’s passing.

“When I decided to run for the council in 2009, Allan came in and encouraged me and was one of my strong supporters when I became Mayor.

“He’d regularly pop into the office and have a yarn and say ‘I like what you’re doing here, don’t listen to some of those other idiots, just get on with what you’re doing. You’re doing a great job. Geoff, I’m in the street every day, I’m in the nursing homes and hospital and I don’t hear anyone saying a bad word about you, son.”

Mr Kettle said he’d known of Jockey most of his life but became more involved when he started work with the late Hume MP Alby Schultz.

Every week, as was his routine with many places, he’d drop a copy of The Post Weekly into the office.

“He’d stop and have a yarn, particularly with the ladies. I know people have commented that Allan had a certain charm with the ladies but it was a genuine, caring charm and I think that went right through his life,” Mr Kettle said.

Jockey also knew Mr Kettle’s mother, Alma, who in her earlier years would shop for her evening gowns at Phyllis’s Fashions. The shop set up by Jockey’s wife, Phyllis, was also a Goulburn favourite.

So when Mrs Kettle moved to Mirambeena Nursing Home and its successor, Warrigal Care at Marys Mount, Jockey was a regular visitor.

“He used to call in and say ‘good morning, darling, how are you?’ and take her out for walk and even out for a cigarette because Mum smoked until the age of 90 when arthritis got the better of her,” Mr Kettle said.

He holds a precious memory close. Shortly after he and Geoff Peterson were elected to the council at a by-election in 2009, they gathered at Warrigal where both their mums were residents.

The Post did a story at the time. There in the photo with them all was Jockey Rudd, their faithful friend.

“I don’t think there’s much around Goulburn that Allan hadn’t played a part in - whether it be socially or visiting older people,” Mr Kettle said.

“He’s one of the city’s greatest ambassadors and will be sadly missed by everyone who knew him and probably those who didn’t because most people would have known of him.”