Former Ipswich Mayor Des Freeman was remembered as a true supporter of the worker and a hard-working Labor Party figure when civic leaders, former colleagues, friends and family gathered to farewell him at a requiem mass on Monday.
The Labor Party stalwart passed away on December 14 aged 95.
He had been in care in a nursing home since May after suffering a bad fall at the end of last year.
Mr Freeman served as Mayor from 1979 to 1991, steering the city through one of its most devastating blows, the Reids department store fire in 1985 and oversaw the rebuilding of the city centre.
Recalling in recent years the shock of the fire Mr Freeman said “It was like losing a life-long friend, someone who had been with you all of your life and met all of your needs and all of a sudden it was gone”.
His council worked through the development proposal as the Kern Corporation lodged plans for the Ipswich City Square.
Demolition of surrounding landmark buildings such as The North Star Hotel to make way for the shopping centre was met with protests. Mr Freeman famously said they’re holding a “gun at our heads” as Kern threatened to abandon the much-needed project if they weren’t given demolition approvals.
The initial mall was a success with Woolworths at one end and McDonnell and East at the other end and specialty stores and a food court in between. McDonnell and East’s closure was the start of the mall’s downfall.
There were many highlights during Mr Freeman’s years as Mayor including construction of the South Street Council building and the city was sewered under his council.
Mr Freeman was first elected as Alderman in 1973 and became the city’s 46th mayor in 1979
He was awarded an Order of Australia in 1987 for service to local government and the community and awarded life membership of the Labor Party in 2000.
His son Phil recalled the long hours and responsibilities of living up to t