Anthony John Bleasdale was an Australian politician.
13 Facts About Tony Bleasdale
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Tony Bleasdale served as a Labor councillor on Blacktown City Council from 1996 and was Mayor of Blacktown at the time of his death in May 2024.
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Tony Bleasdale succeeded Stephen Bali as mayor in an extraordinary meeting of the council in October 2019 and was re-elected unopposed by the council on 9 September 2020.
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Tony Bleasdale attended St Columba's Catholic Primary School and then Woolfall Heath Secondary Modern School, where he developed his curiosity about the world.
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At just 16, with a thirst for adventure sparked years earlier by the film Smiley starring Chips Rafferty, whom he would later meet in a pub in Sydney, Tony Bleasdale set his sights on a bold new chapter inspired by the promise of opportunity.
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Tony Bleasdale was sponsored by the Big Brother Movement, a non-profit organisation, to come to Australia, gain employment, and build a future.
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Tony Bleasdale wanted to join the Royal Armoured Corps as his grandfather, Pt George Bleasdale of the Manchester Regiment, did not return home after WWI, but his parents refused to agree when he was 14.
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Tony Bleasdale spent the first few weeks training at what is "Calmsley Hill Farm" located in Abbotsbury, NSW Fairfield.
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Tony Bleasdale completed a trade course in bricklaying, contributing his skills to iconic projects like the TNT Towers in Redfern and restoration works on St Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney.
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Tony Bleasdale rose to become an organiser for the Building Workers' Industrial Union of Australia and eventually the Assistant Secretary.
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Tony Bleasdale's fight for justice extended beyond Australia's borders, as he took a stand against Apartheid by recording audio broadcasts to inspire resistance within South Africa.
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Tony Bleasdale died on a flight on 3 May 2024, while returning from a trip to Blacktown City Council's sister cities of Liaocheng and Suseong-gu.
13.
Tony Bleasdale's funeral was officiated by the Bishop of the Parramatta Catholic Diocese, Vincent Long Van Nguyen.