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Other Parliamentary SpeechesThis page is dedicated to Peter's speeches during parliament that do not fall under Questions or Questions without notice. They range from debating legislation, reporting on events or issues in his seat of Southport and his Ministerial Statements.
Death of Mr P. Gallagher |
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| Posted by Administrator (admin) on Nov 12 2003 |
| Other Speeches >> |
Mr LAWLOR (Southport- ALP) (10.17 a. m.): As the Premier has mentioned, last night Queensland lost a legend and a gentleman in Peter Gallagher- 'Pedro' to his many friends and fans- when he lost his brave six-month battle with cancer. Pedro was a leader in life and in various sporting and business fields. He was a tough man in Rugby League, when he played for Australia, Queensland and his beloved Brothers club. It was an era of tough men- an era of Sattler, Kelly, Ryan, Raper and Davies- and an era when there was no video replay and a player had to be tough to survive. He gave as good as he got and never whinged. He was the captain of Australia at White City in London when Australia won the test which helped Australia retain the Ashes in 1967.
His loyalty is demonstrated by the fact that he only ever played Rugby League for Brothers.During one of his Kangaroo tours to England press reports said that he would go to South Sydney. Brothers officials rang him in England and offered him $1,000- a lot of money in those days- for the season to stay at Brothers. His response was, 'You blokes can't afford that. I'll take $800. ' Contrast that with today's mercenary attitude! Nevertheless, he was never bitter about the money that was required to run Rugby League in these days.
He contributed greatly to the racing industry. He was also a modest person. When I asked Pedro why he only made the fourths at Terrace, he replied, 'Because there were no fifths in those days. ' He was generous to a fault and was an easy touch for the many needy people and causes that he ran into. Pedro had his triumphs and disasters, and he treated those imposters just the same. He lived by Adam Lindsay Gordon's lines that in life two things stand like stone: kindness in another's troubles, courage in your own. Throughout his life he showed that courage but it was never more evident than in the last six months. His son, Tony, predeceased Peter several years ago in tragic circumstances. He is survived by his wife, Carolyn; daughter, Susan; and granddaughter, Una. I know that I speak for every member in expressing the sympathy of the House to his family. Last changed: [PUBLISHED_DATE] at 10:00 AM
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