It was fitting that it was a misty Maleny day to draw the curtains on the life of long time Sunshine Coast resident and community advocate Peter Parnell.
A memorial service was held last Monday 15 January to remember the life and times of the former engineer, political aspirant and father of two.
Peter moved to Noosa in 1972 and was an active community member for decades across the Sunshine Coast.
Peter was the first builder of strata title units in Noosa where he engineered and constructed Leilani, El Kedra, Kalang and Bayona – the latter two with respected architect Frank Fanning. They all stand today.
Peter was also active in lobbying councils and politicians for sustainable development. This started in the 1970s when living in Noosa where he was second chairman of the Noosa Residents and Ratepayers Association (division 4).
He was quoted in the 1975 Noosa News saying “don’t destroy the character” when discussing town planning in an article titled “Builder seeks simple life”.
Peter was actively seeking to expand Noosa Woods parkland by moving the river mouth. Late friend and well known Noosa artist and cartoonist Peter Campbell recalls surveying with Peter to move where the river enters the ocean to expand the public parkland at Noosa Heads.
That activism continued on many occasions in Maleny and the hinterland – he was part of the group opposing the Woolworths’ development, citing concerns with damage to the Obi Obi creek ecosystem.
“He never set foot in that Woolies as he was always staunchly opposed to that development”, said son Brendan.
Brendan recalled his father reaching his peak of community activism while living on the range – he stood for government at local and federal level, switched from the National Party to being a Greens candidate for Fairfax while also being an eco-champion, chairing multiple Landcare groups including Barung and Brandenburg.
“It’s been a major challenge to establish how many tree plants Dad led on the range. There’s probably 10s of 1000s along Brandenburg Road alone,” Brendan said.
Earlier, Peter had been an engineer with Civil & Civic when Australia’s then tallest building, Australian Square, was opened in 1967 and this pioneered ground breaking ‘light weight concrete construction methods which he wrote a thesis on at university. That was also part of the innovative Lennons Hotel construction in Brisbane which was unique as the first tall building had a waist and was one of the first in Australia with a roof top pool.
After an overseas stint with multi-national engineering consultancy Frank E. Basil based in Athens, Greece, where Peter would oversee major hotel, hospital and defence force constructions around the Mediterranean, he returned to Australia and Maleny became his final home.
Peter established his engineering consultancy in the early 1980s in Maleny and his works included projects at Australia Zoo, Aussie World, Big Pineapple, Caloundra Lighthouse and 1000s of waste water systems in the hinterland as well as many sub divisions and soil tests across the Sunshine Coast.
Peter played a key role in the hinterland community. He was also Chairman of Maleny Show Society, Maleny Tennis Association and Maleny’s Centenary Pool when it was opened by former local MP Mike Ahearn. He actively led fund raising and government lobbying for all these organisations.
He also was a large commercial beef cattle breeder after acquiring the Coograli stud herd in 1981 and developing his Braford bloodlines that are now celebrated across many of Australia’s major Braford Studs. Peter pioneered higher Brahman content to be more tick and drought resilient. The Coograli stud turns 50 this year and has now relocated to Clifton on the Darling Downs and will managed by Stuart Brown.
Peter’s father Leslie served in two world wars, initially with England in WWI and then with the Australian navy in WWII. He was born in Melbourne, went through school and university in Sydney however the Sunshine Coast was his home, firstly at Noosa then Maleny although Noosa was always dear to him.
He is survived by son and daughter Brendan and Erica, grandchildren Bianca, Liam, Isabella and extended family.
Peter passed away peacefully on 30 December at Opal Care, Birtinya.
