Gary Baildon

Gary Baildon (born 1939) is an Australian former politician who served as mayor of the Gold Coast from 1994 until 1995, and again from 1997 until 2004.

Early life
Baildon was born in Nambour and moved to the Gold Coast in the 1960s.

Political career
Baildon was first elected to Gold Coast City Council in 1988, and was elected mayor in 1994. Following the merger of Albert Shire and Gold Coast City in 1995, Baildon was defeated by Ray Stevens. However, he re-contested the mayoralty in 1997, and this time defeated Stevens.

At the 2004 election, Baildon was defeated by Ron Clarke. He briefly returned to politics, successfully contesting Division 1 in 2016, before retiring after one term.

Personal life
Baildon's son, Andrew Baildon, is a former freestyle and butterfly swimming champion, who represented Australia in the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul and the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.