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“ Nina and I were engaged 12 months later , tied the knot on April 20 1967 , and have been happily married ever since , producing four children , Frank , Nick , Christina and Cathy , who in turn have provided Nina and I with eight grandchildren . ”
Tony laughingly recounted the first time he met Nina ’ s Greek family after being invited to their Maroubra home .
“ Nina ’ s mum didn ’ t speak much English but was delighted when Nina introduced me on our arrival ,” Tony said .
“ She left us in the lounge room , disappeared into the kitchen and returned with two glasses of what she said was champagne .
“ I took the proffered glass , had a mouthful and next thing I knew there were bubbles coming out of my nose and mouth .
“ She unwittingly had poured me a glass of shampoo from a large bottle which on later inspection , certainly resembled a six-bottle Methuselah of champagne !”
Tony spent four years at Anderson ’ s Meatworks before completing a bricklaying course at TAFE and for the next five years worked on the trowels .
Tony might well have left school at 14 years back in Liverpool , but the young man possessed his fair share of the smarts .
He was bricklaying on a job at Sydney Town Hall when he accepted an offer to become a union delegate for the Building Workers Industrial Union ( BWIU ).
Such were his skills , not a year later
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he was promoted to become one of the union ’ s organisers and over the ensuing dozen years Tony rose to become assistant secretary .
Love at first pie ! Tony and Nina Beasley went together like meat pies and tomato sauce .
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One of his tasks in 1982 was to visit the site where Parklea Prison was being erected by the prolific building firm , W . McNamara Group , where he became |
friendly with the group ’ s founder , Bill McNamara .
“ I suppose I was ready for another challenge at the time and when Bill offered me the role as Group Industrial Relations Manager , I joined him and over the next dozen years I never had a dull moment filling the role ,” Tony said .
“ I had to look after the interests of the group as well as 1000 employees and about 3000 contractors – yes , never a dull moment !”
In the early 90s , Tony decided to establish his own business , Tony Bleasdale Crane and Rigging which erected and dismantled tower cranes before he became a partner in Lindales labour hire firm which eventually morphed into Bleasdale National Contractors .
“ I managed the business until 2016 before stepping aside and giving over the running of the company to my children and their spouses ,” Tony said .
Tony was first elected to Blacktown City Council in November 2016 before being appointed mayor in October , 2019 .
Tony had an unbridled passion for Blacktown and its people – there are 188 different nationalities living in the LGA – and its future as a major metropolis .
Tony ’ s passing has been mourned far and wide by a multitude of folk from all walks of life who had the pleasure and honour of having known him .
This wonderful man was a great supporter of this magazine and his passing leaves a hole in all our hearts .
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