The ceremony lasted less than 10 minutes as all the legal aspects of Cr O'Connor's appointment were taken attended to, and he was then presented with a council tie by Uralla Mayor Michael Pearce.

Cr O'Connor was the previous Uralla Shire Council general manager for seven years and director of Corporate and Community Services for four years prior to that. He is 77-years-old, retired and said considers he will replace some of the experience lost by Kevin Ward’s resignation from council and recent death.

"In the five years since I retired, it's hopefully given me the distance to be able to come in as a Councillor rather than a senior officer," he said.

"I'm very pleased to have won this with 66 per cent of the vote, but no election is ever a lay down misere. I was glad to get in.

Cr O'Connor said his decision about the next full council election due in September 2020 had yet to be made.

Mayor Michael Pearce thought the council had a good addition to the team.

"I think we've got a good Councillor here, He's got the runs on the board with experience," he said. 

"There is a big difference between being a general manager and a councillor, but I'm sure that Tom will hold the position adequately and do the right thing by the community.

'I'm sure Tom will fit in well with the team of the other eight Councillors."

There were only two candidates in the by-election, the other was Charlotte Field-Sampson who received 32 per cent of the vote.