Leah Burke, of the Batemans Bay Bridge Committee, said nearly a year’s research had gone into the decision to ask for the bridge to be called the “Bob Davis Bridge”. The proposal had received wide support, she said, including some from other people who had worked on the building of the bridge.

Council decided to offer support for the move and ask the Roads and Traffic Authority to call for public comment and then decide on the matter.

Not all councillors were in wholehearted support of the proposal.

Councillor Peter Cairney said most people wouldn’t have heard of Bob Davis. There was no doubt he had been a good man and a hard worker, he said, adding: “But I don’t think we should be picking on one person”.

Cr Fergus Thomson agreed with that in part.

“I think we should recognise the whole crew,” he said.

Cr Alan Morton said he would like to see everyone who contributed named, and Cr Allan Brown suggested a plaque should be placed at both ends of the bridge naming the people who worked with Bob Davis.

However councillors were informed from the public gallery that all the names were not known.

Ms Burke told council that Mr Davis was born in Marrangaroo, NSW, in 1923. He left school at an early age and worked as a general labourer until he joined the Army with his two brothers. The three were captured by the Japanese in Singapore, and Bob was the only one to survive being a prisoner of war.

Through his life he was an outstanding boxer and soccer player and he came to Batemans Bay as a member of the local football team, and found work with the bridge construction team.

He became a hard-hat diver working on the bridge pylons and went on to take part in the building of 30 bridges and culverts. He retired in 1982 and died last December.

The booklet produced for the 50th anniversary of the bridge in 2006 contains a list of nearly 50 people known to have been involved in the construction of the bridge.