John William Fowler (19 July 195429 September 2023) was an Australian high school teacher and a former mayor of the City of South Sydney.
Early life and family
Fowler was born in Sydney and his family lived in Wallacia when he was a child. He attended Newington College (1968–1971). In 1908 his grandfather John Fowler was appointed postmaster in the town we now know as Wallacia and he became an alderman on the Mulgoa Municipal Council. His father Bernard Noel Fowler was an Independent Mayor of Penrith in 1956 and 1957. His older brother, Ross Fowler , was a Liberal Mayor of the same city on three occasions: 1995-1996, 2013-2014 and 2018-2020.
City of South Sydney
Fowler was an independent councillor for the City of South Sydney from 1989 until becoming the first non-Labour mayor in 2000. He served in that role until the council was merged with the Sydney City Council. He was the first openly gay mayor in Sydney.