A mayoral chain worn by the late OJ Smith has been returned to Hay.

“It needed to come back home,” former Hay resident Noelene Martin said. “It had been sitting in a cupboard since we moved to Uranquinty and no one ever saw it.”

Noelene and her husband, Rod brought the chain to Hay over the weekend after having it framed, and presented it to Council on Monday morning.

It was left to Noelene by her mother, Dorothy Markey who was a good friend of the Smith family.

“I would like to thank Hay Shire Council for accepting this very special framed memorabilia,” she said.

“OJ Smith would be proud to know this is on display.

“OJ Smith was deputy mayor in 1950 and 1964 and mayor of the Hay Municipal Council from 1954 to 1961.

“He received the Local Government Certificate of Merit in 1968.

“During his term as mayor, he personally funded the chains for himself and Mrs Smith.”

Following the death of Lillian Smith, Mrs Markey was acting mayoress for OJ when the Governor, Sir Eric Woodward visited Hay in 1961. OJ Smith died in 1974, aged 88.