THE role of Lady Mayoress is about to be reprised with vigour in Parramatta with Lord Mayor Paul Garrard’s wife about to step out from the shadows.

Karen Garrard at a fundraiser for beating breast cancer on Monday. PICTURE: JOHN APPLEYARD

Between raising their daughter, and running the household and family party hire business, Karen Garrard has been happy to be the behind-the-scenes support for her husband, who has served 35 years on council.

The Garrards have been married for 18 years and their daughter is almost 17.

During that time, Paul Garrard has been lord mayor when their daughter was aged 3, 6 and 11.

“I was too busy with my daughter previously when Paul has had the job but now she is older, it is perhaps time for me to think about doing more,” Mrs Garrard told the Advertiser in a casual chat over coffee.

“Paul asked me if I would consider doing more as Lady Mayoress and I said I could as I had more time.”

Organising Parramatta’s upcoming Breast Cancer Fundraising Breakfast is Mrs Garrard’s first foray into Lady Mayoress duties.

The Lady Mayoress title is conferred on wives or partners of all lord mayors and it is up to them how high profile they want to be.

The original “job title” of Lady Mayoress – to be a support to the lord mayor as well as organise her own events, usually fundraising – has changed as women have chosen to live lives independent of their husband’s role.

There is no equivalent title for the husband of a female lord mayor and, traditionally, those husbands have been more of a financial and home support for their lady lord mayors.

But Mrs Garrard makes it clear she will do the job at her own pace, preferring her main role to be home back-up for her husband – because, as Parramatta City has grown, so has the job of lord mayor. “Paul usually likes to talk to me about his day, but when he has had a bad day and wants to be left alone for a while, I give him that time,” Mrs Garrard said.

“He has always worked hard, from the time he first became an alderman – when he has a vision, he goes for it.”

Mrs Garrard said she and her daughter had been used to quiet nights at home while Mr Garrard attended to council business.

She laughs as she recounts one Monday when her husband was unexpectedly home for dinner.

“I told him I was not used to cooking on a Monday,” Mrs Garrard said.

Now Mrs Garrard is looking forward to accompanying her husband more on official business, to learn first-hand why sometimes he is smiling and other times not in the mood to talk.