Sleeman Sports Complex was named after which Brisbane lord mayor?

Sleeman Sports Complex was named after Brisbane lord mayor Frank Sleeman.

Frank Northey Sleeman served as Lord Mayor of Brisbane from 1976 to 1982. The main sporting project associated with his mayoral period was the development of the purpose-built complex for Brisbane’s 1982 Commonwealth Games, and the centre was later named in his honour.

Sleeman’s name can be confused with other Brisbane lord mayors connected with the city’s broader history. Clem Jones preceded him and served from 1961 to 1975, while Jim Soorley and Graham Quirk held the office much later. Sleeman was also notable for his wartime experience: he served in the Australian Army and spent three years and eight months as a Japanese prisoner of war during World War II.

The venue’s name therefore commemorates a Brisbane civic leader, not an athlete or a Commonwealth Games competitor. The complex has since expanded beyond its original 1982 facilities, adding modern venues such as the Anna Meares Velodrome.