From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Ron McAuliffe
Ron McAuliffe
Ron McAuliffe In 1953 the Brisbane Rugby League was subsumed in-
OBE to the Queensland Rugby League (QRL). Ron McAuliffe be-
came secretary to the organisation and began negotia-
Senator for Queensland
tions with the Brisbane City Council to lease Lang Park.
In office On 30 June 1971 McAuliffe was elected as a Senator
1 July 1971 – 30 June 1981 for the Australian Labor Party in the Parliament of Aus-
Personal details tralia. That year he also became president of the QRL.
Although initially opposed to the idea, McAuliffe became
Born 25 June 1918(1918-06-25) a driving force behind the establishment of the State of
Died 16 August 1988(1988-08-16) (aged 70) Origin series. The 1980s were to prove a golden period for
rugby league in Queensland.
Nationality Australian
MxAuliffe sat in the Senate until 30 June 1981. At the
Political party Australian Labor Party end of 1981 he was awarded Civil Officer status in the
Order of the British Empire.
Ronald Edward McAuliffe OBE (25 June 1918 – 16 August McAuliffe died in August 1988 from a stroke. His fu-
1988) was a politician and sports administrator in neral was held on 17 August 1988 at St. Patrick’s Roman
Queensland, Australia. He is best remembered for his Catholic Church in Fortitude Valley. His pall bearers in-
years running the Queensland Rugby League, and his in- cluded Wally Lewis. In his obituary The Courier-Mail jour-
strumental role in the formation of the State of Origin nalist Barry Dick wrote that "he [Ron McAuliffe] loved a
competition.[1] drink, loved an argument, and most of all, he loved com-
McAuliffe attended school at St. Joseph’s College, Gre- pany."
gory Terrace in Brisbane. In 1932 he played rugby league The Ron McAuliffe Medal is awarded to each year’s
for the Gregory Terrace firsts. He started playing senior State of Origin Queensland player of the series. Lang
rugby league in 1937 for the Northern Suburbs club, but Park’s Ron McAuliffe stand was also named in his honour.
with the outbreak of World War II he joined the Aus-
tralian Imperial Force. He served as a Warrant Officer for
five years, before being honourably discharged after ser-
Sources
vice in the Middle East and New Guinea with the 2/2 Ca- [1] Middleton, David (2008). League of Legends: 100 Years
sualty Clearing Station. of Rugby League in Australia. National Museum of
After the war McAuliffe worked with the Queensland Australia. pp. 29. ISBN 9781876944643.
Railways Audit Office. Whilst living at New Farm he http://www.nma.gov.au/shared/libraries/
formed social bonds with a number of Valleys players. In attachments/league_of_legends/
the late 1940s he moved to Fortitude Valley’s Brunswick rugby_league_a_work_in_progress/files/22453/
Street, sharing a flat Roy Westaway, a former interna- F_RL_work_in_progress.pdf.
tional representative playing for the Diehards. According • Gallaway, Jack Origin: Rugby League’s Greatest Contest
to Australian rugby league hall of famer Duncan Hall, a 1980-2002 University of Queensland Press, 2003 ISBN
who was also playing for Valleys: 0-7022-3383-8
(Ron) was one of those blokes who was always Persondata
around the place... he knew everyone worth
Name Macauliffe, Ron
knowing, and everyone knew him. He drank at the
Valley pub with us every night after work. In fact, Alternative names
he was one of those blokes who was the life of the Short description
party and who never seemed to want to go home. Date of birth 25 June 1918
He was always around.
Place of birth
McAuliffe was elected to the Valley’s committee and be- Date of death 16 August 1988
came the club’s delegate to the Brisbane Rugby League Place of death
in 1951. In 1952 he was elected chairman of the Brisbane
Rugby League.
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Ron McAuliffe
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ron_McAuliffe&oldid=439540855"
Categories:
• 1918 births
• People from Brisbane
• Australian Roman Catholics
• Australian rugby league players
• Norths Devils players
• Australian Labor Party politicians
• Members of the Australian Senate
• Members of the Australian Senate for Queensland
• Rugby League State of Origin
• Members of the Order of the British Empire
• 1988 deaths
• Deaths from stroke
• Australian rugby league administrators
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