AOC: After a stellar career spanning more than half a century, Ron Harvey CVO AM, has been awarded life membership of the Australian Olympic Committee.
AOC: After a stellar career spanning more than half a century, Ron Harvey CVO AM, has been awarded life membership of the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC).
The award coincides with Harvey’s retirement from the AOC Executive Board and acknowledges his outstanding contribution to the development of sport in Australia.
Harvey, 78, has been a member of the AOC Executive Board since 1993 and AOC Vice President since 2001. He has no doubt the Sydney Olympics was the pinnacle of his sporting life.
“The highlight of the decades was the Sydney Olympics in 2000,” Harvey said. “Not only because they were the best ever and showcased Australia as an accomplished and resourceful nation but also our athletes and volunteers set standards of which every Australian was proud.”
Harvey was a representative player, coach and Olympic selector in basketball. He was a Chairman and General Manager of the Canberra Cannons and Chairman and Director of the National Basketball League (NBL). He served two terms as President of Basketball Australia.
He has also been a Director and International Advisor for the Football Federation of Australia.
He was the Principal Private Secretary to Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser and Director of The Queen’s visit to Australia in 1981. Other appointments include Australian Consul-General in Chicago and Administrator of the Indian Ocean Territories. He was the Executive Director and Deputy Chairman of both the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) and the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) and played a leading role in their development.
No one has a better understanding of the synergy between business and sport. He believes Australia’s international image and influence is continuing to grow and sport has a major role to play in this area.
“At the elite international level, our Olympic sports make a very substantial contribution particularly in the boardrooms of international sport. This contribution and the contacts made carry over into the diplomatic and business spheres at the very top level around the world.
“Every effort should be made to recognise the value this brings to Australia’s international image and emphasise to Governments and business the importance of Australia’s International sporting contribution.”
In 2008 Harvey was presented with the prestigious Pierre de Coubertin Medal by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for outstanding service to the Olympic Movement. He was the first ever Australian to win the award.
In more recent times he has acted as an Advisor to the Federal Government on Major Events including the Asian Football Cup, World One Day Cricket Cup and the Commonwealth Games.
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