Leo Christie, OAM, died on 28 May 2025 aged 91. Before anglicising his name, Leo was born Liandros Christodoulou, in Sydney on 21 June 1933. The son of Cleopatra Karayiannidis, and George Christodulou, he was raised among the milk bars of Sydney’s Greek migrant community with the help of his adored Aunt Stoula and Uncle George. It was a childhood that instilled a sense of community as he witnessed the resilience of those who had fled unrest to rebuild themselves in a new country.
An ambitious, talented and generous entrepreneur, Leo’s diverse career saw him establish his own legal
practice in his thirties, which became Christie and Partners, before entering consulting, property
development and philanthropy. While others may dream, Leo had faith in his judgement and vision and knew how to turn his ideas into realities that improved the urban fabric of Sydney itself. In 1999, he viewed a property on Danks Street, Waterloo, and envisaged an innovative gallery collective that would become a game changer for Sydney’s art world.
