Swimming Royalty Rolls Back into Rothwell for a Different Kind of Gold

Published 08 August 2023

Just 800m down the road from Southern Cross Catholic College, where Leisel Jones went to school, the Olympic legend returned home to claim a new title.

Leisel Drive in Rothwell has been renamed Leisel Jones Drive, following a months-long campaign coordinated by her Triple M co-hosts Liam & Dobbo.

The occasion was celebrated in style, with Leisel at the head of a motorcade that rolled through local streets, with live entertainment along the route, and plenty of swimming fanatics turning out to support the procession with signs.

City of Moreton Bay Mayor Peter Flannery said it was a fitting tribute for one of the world’s greatest ever swimmers.

“If nine Olympic medals, 10 Commonwealth gold medals, 14 individual world records, and 23 national titles can’t get Council to name a street after you, then I don’t know what warrants a change,” Mayor Flannery said.

“I’m proud that one of our first actions since being reclassified as a city is to immortalise a local legend in this way, because we want to encourage, nurture, and celebrate excellence here.

“Moreton Bay has a remarkable legacy of generating some of Australia’s best athletic talents like Jessicah Schipper, Bronte Barratt, Dane Bird-Smith, Brenden Hall and Lakeisha Patterson to name a few.

“As we look ahead to the Games here in 2032, it’s also important to reflect on our Olympic and Paralympic legacy and celebrate the luminaries who’ve made Australia such an incredible sporting nation.

“I’m definitely keen to recognise more local Olympic and Paralympic legends and encourage locals to get online and lodge their suggestions.

“The key thing we’re looking for when considering a place name is a strong local connection to that area or a story to tell about the namesake, like the fact Leisel Jones went to school just up the road from here and has done Moreton Bay and Australia immensely proud on the international stage.”

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