
Councillor
Cr Gavin Dear
Councillor Dear first moved to Cooktown in 1990, working as a deckhand on a crabbing boat in the Coleman River. In 2004, he and his partner Kathy settled in Helenvale near the Lion’s Den Hotel, building their family home on the Annan River and raising their three children.
Cr Dear has had a distinguished career as an exploration geologist across Australia and the Pacific, including Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Fiji,
and South America. He possesses a deep fascination with the northern landscapes, encompassing geology, botany, ecology, and the rich Indigenous and European history.
In addition to his geological career, Cr Dear has actively contributed to event management and live music. He served as President of the Wallaby Creek Festival for six years and founded the not-for-profit annual event, Black Mountain Unplugged (BMUP), in 2012. Both events have significantly nurtured local talent and showcased world-class acts.
For the past 20 years, Cr Dear has also led The Roadtrippers band, enjoying a close association with the Harrigan brothers from Black Image Band. This collaboration has seen them perform nationwide, sharing far northern tales and fostering a strong bond between band members and their families.
Having spent most of his life in Cook Shire, Cr Dear is deeply committed to its people and landscapes and is particularly inspired by his home, his family and life at the food of the enigmatic Kalkajaka (Black Mountain).