Proposal to rename Kogarah Library in Honour of Clive James

Georges River Council is seeking feedback from the community to rename Kogarah Library and Service Centre, “The Clive James Library and Service Centre”, in honour of Clive James.

This is in recognition of his lifetime contribution to literature and culture, and his strong connection to the suburb of Kogarah.

Clive James had a strong connection with the suburb of Kogarah and wrote fondly of his upbringing in his first autobiography “Unreliable Memoirs” (1979). Into his adult life he famously referred to himself as the “Kid from Kogarah”. Born on 7 October 1939, growing up at Margaret Street Kogarah, he attended the Kogarah Infants and Primary School, swam at Scarborough Park, raced billy carts down Irene Street and enjoyed the treats of Parry’s Milk Bar.

Perhaps most significantly James was a regular user of the public library, which was then housed in the Kogarah School of Arts, and through this he developed a lifelong love of literature. James went on to achieve fame in Australia and internationally in literature and the arts. He produced four novels, five books of memoirs, numerous poems, essays, articles and song lyrics. He also wrote and hosted a number of successful television programs including the iconic “Clive James on Television” which ran through the 1980s and 90s. James also created online content, interviewing many famous personalities on his internet show called “Talking in the Library”.

Council recommends to pay tribute to this much loved son of Kogarah and to honour his lifelong contributions by renaming our Kogarah Library and Service Centre “The Clive James Library and Service Centre”. This library has long been recognised as a literary and cultural hub of the community and it is a wonderful place to represent the lasting legacy of Clive James.