“The Bleasdale family is shocked as with the many people contacting the council,” Blacktown Deputy Mahyor, Clr Quilkey said.
“It has been a shock for everybody here at the council, and many local people are saddened by his death. We are in touch with his family.”
Clr Bleasdale, 77, was leading a delegation on official visit to Laiocheng City in the Shandong province of China and Daegu City in South Korea as the countries among Blacktown City’s current Sister Cities.
Clr Bleasdale has served NSW’s largest council with more than 400,000 residents since 1996, representing Ward 5.
He was awarded the Order of Australia (OAM) medal in 2010 for his long years of service to the Blacktown community, his many charity achievements supported and praised by peers and the wider community.
He was elected the city’s mayor in 2019 and has been among the esteemed members of the Australian Labor Party.
Clr Bleasdale was born in Liverpool, United Kingdom and survived by his wife Nina Bleasdale and their four children.
Long serving Western Sydney businessman and charity leader Dr Jim Taggart OAM said: “Tony Bleasdale was a person of vision and action; people gravitated to Tony because he was able to create confidence, hope, and a genuine belief in building a better world; he certainly has done this as a legacy, not only because of his own skills and commitment to our community but because of his very deep conviction to helping other people personally, and his community; our community is a better place because of Tony Bleasdale and his beautiful family.”
Owners of the Del Rio resort at Wisemans Ferry, Bill and Pat McNamara had a long history with Tony and his family and issued this statement: “We are so pleased to call Tony Bleasdale, one of our closest friends, not only in our business but personally; his family and our family have grown up together and it is through the activities of business and family that our bond has been put together forever. We are very fortunate that Tony came into my life and together we have at various times continue to build our own personal and collaborative vision for western Sydney, and particularly Blacktown. We are deeply saddened by his loss and know that this will be a heavy burden on his family at the same time we are so humbly grateful that Tony Bleasdale came into our lives and played an important and immeasurable part in our wonderful family and business.Tony Bleasdale we thank you and our hearts are broken because of the loss of you and the impact on your family.”
Premier Chris Minns said Blacktown had lost a great servant and favourite son.
“Tony was the Mayor of Blacktown since 2019 and a councillor since 1996. He was born in Liverpool, England, the son of a dockworker. At the age of 15, he sailed to Australia and a new life, as part of the Big Brother movement.
“Here in Australia, he enjoyed a long and varied career, as a bricklayer, union official, and successful business owner.
“Always grateful for the opportunities he received here, Tony spent much of his life giving back.
“As Mayor of Blacktown, he worked tirelessly to develop Sydney’s West, with a particular passion for helping his disadvantaged constituents.
“He was a generous man with a big heart. His legacy is written across Blacktown, the city he loved, or as he called it – ‘the jewel in the crown of Western Sydney’.
“Our thoughts and love are with Tony’s family, including his beloved wife, Nina."
Property Council of Australia’s Western Sydney Regional Director Ross Grove said: "Blacktown CBD and the wider local government area are all the better for his leadership. A proud Blacktown local, Tony Bleasdale spent three decades serving Blacktown City Council in the roles of Councilor, Deputy Mayor and Mayor. In his mayoral term, Councilor Bleasdale made significant contributions to the future development of the Blacktown CBD, finalising the Warrick Lane redevelopment, and utilizing the city’s property portfolio to promote investment and position Blacktown as a centre for jobs in Western Sydney."
“It should be noted that his sudden passing occurred as he was working on his great passion, providing opportunities for the people of Blacktown,” Mr Oldfeild said.
“The support Tony gave the Blacktown Chamber was nothing short of outstanding. His vision for Blacktown included the growth of the business community and he did his utmost to invest in all that our Chamber stood for. We will be forever grateful for his genuine and unwavering commitment.
“Tony was a larger-than-life character who made a positive impact everywhere he went. Countless Western Sydney lives were touched by his efforts. Tony was a man of great integrity and decency matched only by his work ethic. Western Sydney has lost a great warrior.
“Our thoughts and condolences are with Tony's wife Nina and their children. They have lost a loving husband and father, and we say thank you for sharing him with us.”
