From politicians to sportspeople, scholars to businesspeople, activists to pacifists, Logan has achievers from all walks of life who are making a difference to our lives and the way we live them.

The Albert & Logan News, with the help of some judges, compiled the list of Logan’s 50 most influential people — The Logan Power 50.

While we can’t acknowledge all the wonderful people in our community, we have chosen a top 50.

LOGAN POWER LIST COUNTDOWN

50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 | 10-1

Our outside 10 power brokers — who are embued with power to make real change — The Logan Influential will be revealed at the end.

There is no denying these people are influential and have worked to secure a better future for our community.

Here is the first in our series of The Logan Power 50.

50 MARILYN GOODWIN

Marilyn Goodwin lives in Eagleby and has played a major role in bringing to light the routes of the Coomera Connector. She worked as a remote area nurse on Cape York and Torres Strait Island communities and as a mediator with the Queensland Department of Justice and Attorney. She holds a Bachelor of Community Welfare from James Cooke University. She became involved with the Eagleby Community and Wetlands Group from its beginning after the treatment of Eagleby residents by the state Transport and Main Roads Department and government representatives. She is married to Alec Raymer, former High School teacher and multi-award winning poet and lyricist.

49: TOM LINSKEY

Meadowbrook businessman Tom Linskey has played a major role shaping sports grounds and golf courses in southeast Queensland for decades.

The former professional golfer is widely acknowledged as director of Australia’s longest-running and best-known golf teaching schools.

He was Australian Long Drive Champion in 1977 and again took that honour, this time in the ‘Super Senior’ category, in 2006.

But it has been his diverse career in golf-related occupations that stands Tom apart from most other golf professionals.

Not content to just “play” for a living, he has forged a profession as both a playing and teaching pro, a golf course designer, a coach, an administrator and an entrepreneur.

The extent of his course deigns is far reaching in Logan and he has forged many relationships with world-class golfers who come to the city to seek his advice.

A full member of the Australia PGA since 1965, Tom was an active tournament player from then until 1991. He also played on the European Tour in 1972, ‘76 and ‘77. From 1995 to the present he has been active on the Australian Senior Tour.

48: ALEX LEAPAI

Alex ‘The Lionheart’ Leapai has been a sporting icon to many, perhaps for his amazing comeback story.

The-39-year-old was on track to playing for the Cowboys, but his career was cut short when he received a 12 month ban for threatening an umpire in an under 20s game.

He turned to alcohol and drugs and in 2005 was handed a six-month sentence for assaulting two bouncers outside a nightclub. Since then he has passionately preached to schoolchildren not to follow the same path he did.

In 2014, the former Logan truck driver became the first Australian in more than 100 years to challenge for the undisputed world heavyweight title in Germany.

He may have lost in the fifth round against Klitschko in Oberhausen but it was a massive effort.

Leapai has now scored 26 KOs wins in 32 wins and he is now reportedly chasing another big fight in Europe.

47: JODIE HENRY

At the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, the Springwood-based Jodie Henry, now 36, won the women’s 100 metre freestyle as well as being a member of the Australian teams that won both the 4×100-metre freestyle relay and the 4×100-metre medley relay. At the Athens 2004 Olympics, she bagged gold medals and set three world records. She claimed the 100m freestyle title and won gold in two relay races in an astonishing Olympic debut.

46: GARY KELLAR

Gary Kellar had a long and distinguished career as chief executive officer at Logan City Council for 25 years and since 2005 has conducted a management consulting business. He was a member of the Logan Interim Management Committee after the council was disbanded and was also acting chief executive at Ipswich City Council from 2017 to 2018.

Daniel Jones, 47, one half of Savage Garden, used his Cornubia house in Ballan Court to record albums which shot the band to international stardom after selling more than 20 million albums worldwide. Although Jones no longer lives in Logan and sold his Cornubia house in 2002, members of his family still live here and he owns a man cave at the Gold Coast with wife Hi-5 star Kathleen de Leon. Jones has since established a record label to nurture emerging talent.

44: JOHN DAVIS

Acting chief executive of Murri Country, John Davis has been a leader at the forefront of the indigenous community in and around Beenleigh. He has worked as chief research officer

at Jinndi Mibunn offices and has been director and active member of peak Indigenous educators yarning circle, Community Durithunga Inc. He has also been state manager and director of Queensland Department of Education in Waterford West Statewide manager of Embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Perspectives in Schools. In 2016, he completed his PhD in Indigenous Community Models of Education.

43: MELISSA LUCASHENKO

Last year’s Miles Franklin Award winner Melissa Lucashenko has had a love-hate affair with Logan even since she moved to Eagleby in the 1980s. Her latest book, Too Much Lip, is all abut a Harley-riding chick from Logan’s Trinder Park. Despite the hardships Lucashenko has endured, Logan has served her well. She won the prestigious 2013 Walkley Award for her Griffith Review essay Sinking below sight: Down and out in Brisbane and Logan, a seminal work which still resonates today.

42: SAMUEL GLANCY

Samuel Glancy, is a 14-year-old who has already devoted a large part of his life to helping others through his fundraising and photographery. In 2016, he found out that his grandfather had terminal cancer and learned about children with the disease and decided to act. He has so far raised awareness about cancer and more recently about Down Syndrome and has also worked with the Starlight Children’s Foundation, which helps bring happiness to very sick children. When he was 8, he started making my calendars and Officeworks kindly helped out too. This year has been a challenge for Samuel but he is still determined to run his Kids4Kids School Supplies fundraiser to help kids who can’t afford necessary items.

41 MATTHEW HARRIS

Matthew Harris has been a major leader in Logan for the past decade. He has been the branch manager for the Bendigo and Adelaide Bank in Beenleigh for nearly three years after working as branch manager at Marsden for more than six years. He has been with the bank for 21 years and believes playing a role in the community and helping those who need is a social priority. He started his career in Rockhampton and spent time at the The Rock Building Society. He believes Logan is a place for nurtured growth and has played leading roles in community projects. Through the bank he has helped educate youth about the importance of financial management at Beenleigh and Crestmead PCYCs.

LOGAN POWER LIST COUNTDOWN

50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 | 10-1