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Chair Profile: John So


Celebrity Featured: John So
Fabric Donor: Warwick Fabrics

About John So

John So is, without doubt, Melbourne's most popular Lord Mayor. He can be directly attributed with a revival of recognition of the position and does so as the first Lord Mayor directly elected by the people of Melbourne in 2001. Previously, Lord Mayors were elected by the Council.

Having been in the position since 2001, So is also the longest serving Lord Mayor in the history of Melbourne. He has been involved with local politics for fifteen years, having been elected to the Melbourne City Council in 1991 and stayed in office until his election as Lord Mayor.

Prior to politics, So was a Physics teacher at Fitzroy High School. He had studied Science at the University of Melbourne after finishing Secondary Education at 17. He was born in South China in 1946, before emigrating to Hong Kong and then Melbourne.