Sir Thomas Brisbane, who was born and died in Largs on the Firth of Clyde in North Ayrshire, was the Governor of New South Wales in 1822 when he sent officers to find a new site for convicts who were repeat offenders.

They discovered a site by a large river flowing into Moreton Bay and, a year later, the first convicts arrived there.

Sir Thomas visited the settlement in December 1824, and it was suggested that both the river and the settlement be named after him.

At a recent meeting of councillors from Largs, attended by local residents, David Muir travelled from Australia and presented a letter from Brisbane's Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner to the provost of North Ayrshire.

"The Lord Mayor of Brisbane expressed his hope that we can foster closer links between our communities, and this has some exciting possibilities in the run up to the Olympic Games which are due to take place in Brisbane in 2032," Largs Councillor Alan Hill told the local newspaper, the Largs & Millport Weekly News.

"There are historic connections between the city of Brisbane and Largs which have extended over many years.

"Brisbane is named after Sir Thomas Brisbane, who hailed from Largs.

"When I was at school and the Brisbane Queen Festival still took place, the highlight for the winner was an annual trip to Brisbane at some stage during her reign.

"With the passing of the festival, these close links fell away, and this meeting was held to explore the possibility of establishing new links over the coming months and years.

"The group will be reaching out to the senior management at Largs Academy to see if there would be any interest through the school."

Muir, a prominent Republican in Australia, hopes The Clem Jones Group, founded after a late Lord Mayor of Brisbane and which is devoted to philanthropic works, can provide resources to help build new links with Largs.

A keen astronomer, Sir Thomas built the colony's second observatory and encouraged scientific and agricultural training in Australia.

In 1978, the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium located in the grounds of the Brisbane Botanic Gardens was opened.

Over the years, the Planetarium has welcomed millions of visitors and continues to be a must-visit destination for residents and visitors.

Sir Thomas left Australia in 1825 and returned home to Largs, where he died in 1860 at the age of 86.

In June, reports emerged that the Queensland Government is considering changing the name of Brisbane to the indigenous name Meanjin before the Olympics start.

It was revealed that the Queensland State Government led by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has entered negotiations with indigenous groups and green groups about achieving a name change.

Meanjin is derived from the word used by the Turrbal people for the spike of land where Brisbane is located.

The proposal has proved highly controversial, and Largs wants to ensure that Sir Thomas' historic role in the founding of Brisbane, which was declared a town in 1834 and opened to free settlement in 1839, is secured.

"With the Olympic Games coming to Brisbane in a few years' time, there are real opportunities for us to build and grow links between local organisations, sporting groups and individuals in the area," Hill told the Largs & Millport Weekly News.

"We have a chance and can take some time at the moment to explore options and hold discussions with Largs Academy, Inverclyde Sports Centre and others to see what we do next.

"The Clem Jones Group has offered its support to work on a new cooperation agreement between our communities in some form which may be useful in ensuring that Largs capitalise on any opportunities in the period leading up to the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.

"This was a very good meeting, and I am looking forward to getting some discussions going about how we might seek to take matters forward."