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Notable Kytherians

People > Notable Kytherians > Peter Freeleagus

People > Notable Kytherians

submitted by Belyando Shire Council on 05.02.2007

Peter Freeleagus

Peter Freeleagus - Freeleagus Peter Council

Born in Brisbane 05/03/1960

Mayor - Belyando Shire - elected March 2004

First elected to council in March 1997. Appointed Deputy Mayor in 2000 and appointed Mayor in August 2003.

Council appointed committees: Belyando Shire Tourism Committee; Belyando Shire Counter Disaster Committee; Belyando Shire Locust Committee; Nebo/Broadsound & Isaac/Connors Land & Irrigation Study Stakeholders Group; Southern Desert Uplands Regional Vegetation Management Committee; RMCN; and WHaMB ROC.

http://www.belyando.qld.gov.au

The Shire

Clermont:
Located in the southern part of the Shire, Clermont is approximately 400kms from Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia, and is the service town for Blair Athol Coal Mine and the surrounding rural properties.

The town has day care facilities, a kindergarten, preschool, primary school, high school, catholic primary school, Isolated Children Parents Association and a TAFE annex. There are health facilties ie hospital, doctors, chemist, dentist, ambulance and of course for the pets there is the veterinarian. Welfare services are also catered for as well as community services such as police, fire brigade and SES.

Clermont has a population of approximately 2,500 people. It is a friendly town with a wonderful history that spans over 140 years. (See History - Clermont)

Moranbah: Located in the northern part of the Shire, Moranbah is approximately 200km south-west of Mackay and is the service town for Goonyella/Riverside, Peak Downs and Moranbah North Coal mines.

Moranbah has day care facilities, kindergarten, preschools, two primary schools, high school, TAFE annex and Open Learning facilities. The town also has a vast range of sporting and recreational facilities as well as community groups. The health facilities include hospital, mental health workers, youth workers, dentists, optometrist, doctors, physiotherapists and alternative practitioners as well. There are police, fire and ambulance services available as well.

Comments & Backgound:

My Father Peter was the son of Nicholas Freeleagus who was one of the Freeleagus brothers who left Greece at the beginning of the 20th century to live in Australia. Their village of origin was Friligianika.

Reference to the Freeleagus Brothers in Life in Australia, 1917

The first of the Freeleagus brothers to arrive in Australia were Panayiotis, who was the eldest, and Christos.

Peter & Chris were the founders and the linchpins of future business success in Brisbane. Soon after, other brothers Antonios, Giorgios, Dimitirios, Kyriakos and Ioannis migrated to Australia.

The Freeleagus family very quickly established itself financially in Brisbane.

Freeleagus family in front of a house in Stanley Street, South Brisbane, ca. 1925

"I left Brisbane in 1979 and have moved and lived around various towns in Queensland. I lost contact with the Greek community. I speak no Greek and it was only in the last 2 years that I formed a close relationship with Alex Freeleagus. I was with Alex the day before his untimely passing away. Over this time Alex was a very busy person so I only got part of the story of the Freeleagus family moving from Greece to Australia......

Alex Freeleagus was my Uncle ( former Honorary Consulate General of Greece in QLD) and can I say he is very sadly missed within the community, and more so by the Freeleagus family. I ask myself some times why I chose to take on the civic duty as Mayor, and the answer comes from my family background. It doesn’t matter what role you take on in life - give it your best shot. Most people in this town know that I normally give 150% - which is the norm for a Kytherian & a Greek....

*Note in the back ground three flags - the Greek, Australian, & Queensland (obscured) - all three of which I am very proud of!

I am also very proud of the Belyando Shire flag - which is on another desk.

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