John Michael O'Dea AM, KCSG (born 11 November 1938) is an Australian solicitor and former local government politician who served as an alderman and mayor of the Municipality of North Sydney.
[3][4][5] With his father Cecil being an old boy of St Ignatius College, Riverview, O'Dea received his early education there before commencing law studies at the University of Sydney.
[6] In 1963 he married Marianne Augustina Hubertina Mulders at the Riverview chapel, with Fr Charles Fraser SJ as the celebrant.
[9] When the sitting Municipality of North Sydney Belmore Ward alderman, John Francis Cahill, died in February 1969, a by-election was held to fill his seat.
[12] On 27 September 1972 O'Dea was elected to serve a single term as mayor, and was instrumental in progressing the controversial and ultimately unsuccessful Sabemo Ltd redevelopment proposal of the North Sydney Council Chambers site, supporting Council's approval of the plan in May 1973 and unveiling the stage one plans for several office towers on the block bounded by McLaren and Ridge Streets at a cost of $47 million in June 1973.