John Leitch OBE JP (1860 – 7 May 1927) was an Australian politician who served as the first metropolitan Labor Mayor in New South Wales.
[9][10] Leitch's leadership of the council was recognised by The Sydney Morning Herald in its 1914 profile of the suburb: "Redfern has been most fortunate in having men of ability in the Mayoral chair.
[1] In April 1912, he was appointed by his friend (and now Premier) James McGowen as one of the first members of the new Metropolitan Board of Water Supply and Sewerage.
His fundraising efforts during the war resulted in his being awarded the rank of Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in October 1920.
On his exit from the council, a later article in the Melbourne Argus noted that: "Leitch has lived to see Redfern about turn on both his old chief [James McGowen] and himself.
On the matter of loyalty, Mr. McGowen and Mr. Leitch stood by the Union Jack, and that damned them with the more active section of Redfern citizens.