FREMANTLE blogger and Chook columnist Roel “Loopy” Loopers has been awarded Fremantle’s Senior Citizen of the Year.

Come rain, hail or shine, you’ll find the 75-year-old pounding the streets of Fremantle, where for the past 15 years he’s documented all the comings and goings in the city on his popular daily blog Freoview. 

The photojournalist is not afraid to share his frank views on all-things Freo, including everything from Australia Day to overpriced flat whites.

• Fremantle’s Citizens of the Year (L-R): Christian Mauri, Roel Loopers, Roma Sharp and Christine Duckham from Friends of Clontarf Hill, Sarah Booth, Kate Raston with Fremantle mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge.

Born in the Netherlands, and a photographer by trade, Mr Loopers immigrated to Australia in 1982 after a stint working in Germany as a photographer for newspapers and press agencies.  In the early 1990s he moved to Fremantle, where he quickly became passionate about local issues and a regular letter writer to the Chook. In 2009 he started his Freoview blog.

Last year, the National Library of Australia started archiving his blog posts.

“It is a real honour to receive the Fremantle Senior Citizen of the Year,” Mr Loopers told the Herald.

“Even more so because I also did receive the Fremantle Active Citizen of the Year Award 11 years ago. I don’t know anyone else who received it twice.

“It is such a good feeling to see that my commitment to and love for Freo is being recognised by so many people.“