Largs is to receive a VIP visit later this month to help bolster the links with Brisbane in Australia.
David Muir, chair of the prestigious Clem Jones Group, will be flying into Scotland and is keen to promote and strengthen the links between Largs and Brisbane due to Largs being the birthplace of Sir Thomas Brisbane, after which the Australian city is named.
With Brisbane set to host the Olympics in 2032, David believes there is a big opportunity to build bridges - with exchange trip possibilities and school links, as well as trying to build historical tourism in Largs of the amazing connection. See here.
The News recently reported how a local historian insisited Largs could, and perhaps should, have been named Brisbane after Sir Thomas's strong legacy.
In 2019, an Australian delegation headed across from the city to Largs to help build links, and look towards funding the restoration of the dilapidated Brisbane Observatory, with talk that King Charles could get involved. See here
Sir Thomas Brisbane was born and died in Largs and helped found the city named after him whilst he was the Governor of New South Wales from 1821 to 1825.
An outstanding astronomer and scientist, he was a great benefactor to Largs - and Largs Academy has named its conference room after him so his name endures in educational circles. He provided money to build a new school in the town in 1842, and saved people's lives after funding a state of the art sanitation system to help keep the deadly cholera disease at bay.
At the meeting at 2019, which was hosted in the Woodhouse Hotel, as well as fundraising to preserve the observatory, options being suggested included building a statue of Brisbane and providing heritage trails in the town.
An education link up between schools in Brisbane and Largs has also been suggested, with the possibility of setting up exchanges similar to the Brisbane Queen festival in Largs in the 1990s.
David added: "The legacy of Sir Thomas Brisbane, from helping to cure the town of cholera to building a school, is quite extraordinary.
"The Largs project is very important to the Clem Jones Trust. Sir Thomas has a wonderful military, philanthropic and astronomical history- it is an exciting story and once people in Largs, Brisbane and Scotland in general are more aware of it, it can help generate a lot more interest and open up tourism opportunities."
Watch an interview with David conducted in 2019 below:
David believes there are now fresh opportunities with tourism potential to re-engage with the Sir Thomas Brisbane story and promote the link which spans 10,187 miles.
He said: "I look forward to seeing Largs again on my visit to Scotland.
"I spoke to the Brisbane City Lord Mayor and will be discussing my Largs visit in a meeting with him next week at City Hall.
"He mentioned that the Olympic Games here in Brisbane will be opened on 23 July 2032 which just happens to be the anniversary of the birthday of Governor Brisbane.
"I am looking forward to bolstering the relationship between Largs and the City of Brisbane in the lead up to the Games.
"Historical tourism could be quite a boost to Largs, with the historical links."
During his visit on June 21, David will be meeting local councillors including Independent councillor Ian Murdoch at a function at the Brisbane House Hotel in the morning, and will also visit Largs Museum and Brisbane Mausoleium in the afternoon.
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