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A STRAIGHT-SHOOTING and hardworking former Ipswich mayor who left school at the age of 13 is being remembered for his strong leadership of the city for more than a decade.
Labor party stalwart Des Freeman served as Ipswichâs 46th mayor for 12 years after working in coal mines and on his familyâs dairy farm.
He remained active in local politics long after he retired from the top job in 1991. Des (fourth from right) and Colleen (third from right) Freeman had served the Labor party for more than 50 years.
Des passed away on Monday at the age of 95 and is survived by his beloved wife Colleen, herself an important figure in the local Labor movement.