Prominent Mount Isa identity Steve Wollaston has passed away overnight in Rockhampton on Monday.
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Mr Wollaston, 69, was a Mount Isa RSL sub-branch board member and a Vietnam veteran and he was also a long-term associate and campaign manager for three generations of Katters with Bob Katter Sr, Bob Katter Jr and Robbie Katter.
Robbie Katter paid tribute to Mr Wollaston.
“Farewell today to my mate Steve Wollaston who passed away. A great servant to the Mount Isa community where he lived for most of his life,” Mr Katter said.
He was involved in the insurance industry for many years working for AMP before he retired.
Mr Wollaston was heavily involved in community organisations like Apex and Rotary.
Fellow Apex member Fred Frost added to the tributes to a good friend who he called a “larrikin”.
“Steve was travelling around Australia in the 1970s and he decided to stop in Mount Isa for a week but ended up staying a lifetime,” Mr Frost said.
“In Mount Isa he met his wife Margaret and they had two children Martin and Suzie.”
Mr Frost said Mr Wollaston joined Apex and rose through the ranks becoming district and zone governor.
“Then when he retired from Apex he joined Rotary and ended up president of the Rotary Rodeo Committee, he also ran for state parliament and council and of course in later years became heavily involved with the RSL.
“You could always tell when it was rodeo or election time because Steve would be walking around with a pocket full of papers”.
Mr Wollaston was in ill-health for some time before he passed away.
He was predeceased by his wife Margaret in 2014.