by Cam Lucadou-Wells
Loved ones and friends fondly farewelled South Eastern Metropolitan MP and “unstoppable force” Inga Peulich in a funeral mass in Springvale on 8 August.
Ms Peulich died at 67 after a long illness, leaving a legacy including 22 years as a state politician, loyal friend and “tower of strength” for her family.
Son and former Kingston mayor Paul Peulich told of her favourite saying: “Failure is not the falling down but the staying down”.
As a girl, her family fled communist Yugoslavia when her father Drago had been “blacklisted” from working as a journalist for uncovering and reporting on state corruption.
They arrived in Australia with her family with two suitcases, no English and no money.
Born on a farm, she recalled the delight of finding ‘two cherries in a gully trap’ – which was to be the title of her memoir.
“Inga was a woman of education. Books – she had a massive library – strategy and the spoken and written word.”
She was a sought-after VCE English and Psychology teacher, who worked night shifts at the family restaurant The Last Penny in Oakleigh. She was to win an international teaching fellowship.
When she was recruited to the Liberal Party, her father commented that Inga was “too honest for politics”.
Inga served as Bentleigh MP in 1992-2002, returning to Parliament in the South East Metropolitan upper house region in 2006-‘18.
Son Paul said her “schedule was legendary” – more than 550 meetings a year.
Strong, proud and compassionate, she had an “open-door policy” in helping whoever sought assistance, her son said.
“I saw first-hand the great impact and effectiveness of her words and more importantly her actions.”
A gifted sportsperson in her youth, she and the family forged a special bond in athletics. She would have loved to have watched the current Olympic Games, Paul said.
She had a love of country-western music and travel. In semi-retirement, she considered writing a book, studying a PhD or returning to teaching.
“She was a tower of strength in our lives.”
Her husband Sav Peulich told the service at St Joseph’s Catholic Church that they had met at a small country fair 41 years ago.
The couple quickly fell in love, married and their journey was filled with great memories, he said.
Whether selling garments on the NSW border or fighting to win a marginal seat, there was never a dull moment.
He paid tribute to Inga’s thirst for life – she was first in the water on family holidays and striving to see all of the sights.
“You had a brilliant intellect and a heart of gold.”
Liberal colleague and ex-Moordialloc MP Geoff Leigh told of his fierce but strong friendship. They used to have many disagreements as friends – more often than they fought with their own partners.
“Politics isn’t a place where you make many friends you can trust. I know I made one friend that I could trust and that was Inga Peulich.
“It told you a lot about the quality of Inga as a person.
“Coming from the country she came from, she made me see and value how valuable free speech was. Many Australians took it for granted … up until the pandemic.”
Mr Leigh said Inga put together and trained the team of South East Liberals that defeated the Brumby Government in 2006.
“The media would often claim that it was transport issues that defeated the Brumby Government. But we all knew it was Inga putting the campaign together that resulted in our victory.”
Dianne Noulikas-Galinas joined Inga in setting up the first Liberal multicultural branch.
Ms Noulikas also spoke of Inga’s hopefulness, optimism and never failing to give up in the face of her terminal illness.
She told the service that Inga was like “family”, and “fiercely loyal”, recalling late night coffees, jokes and light-hearted ‘palm-readings’ in the Bentleigh office.
“She was the hardest working, most dedicated MP I had met, and a force to be reckoned with.
“There was no immoveable object that was a match for her unstoppable force.”
