Famous Boxers

Jeff Harding.

Known as "Hit Man," Harding turned professional in 1986 and in 1989 won the World Boxing Federation Light Heavyweight Title, which he lost, then rewon in 1991. He defended the title twice and then retired after losing it in 1994.

Lester Ellis.

Ellis, who turned pro in 1983, became world boxing champion in 1985 when he won the International Boxing Federation super lightweight world title.

Tony Mundine.

The only Australian boxer to have competed in four weight divisions, Mundine held the Australian middleweight, light heavyweight, cruiserweight, and heavyweight titles. In addition to his career in boxing, Mundine also played rugby. He currently manages a gym in Australia.

Jimmy Carruthers.

A world champion in the bantamweight division, Carruthers began his boxing career in the 1948 Summer Olympics, and turned pro in 1950. He retired still holding his world title in 1954.

Dave Sands.

Like Darcy, Sands also won the Australian Heavyweight title while boxing as a middleweight, and also died tragically: in a car accident, at age 26. He came from a large family of boxers, including a nephew who held the welterweight championship.

Jeff Fenech.

Born in Sydney, New South Wales in 1964, Fenech was captain of the Australian 1984 Olympic boxing team. After the Olympic games, Fenech ("The Marrickville Mauler") turned pro and won both the International Boxing Federation bantamweight title and the World Boxing Federation super bantamweight title before retiring in 1996.

John Famechon.

Born in France in 1945 before moving to Australia at age 5, Famechon was the continent's third world boxing champion. He never boxed as an amateur and began boxing in pro bouts in 1961. He retired in 1970 after losing his title as world flyweight and bantamweight king.

Lionel Rose

. The oldest of nine children in an Aboriginal family, Rose followed in the footsteps of his father to become a boxer. He became the second world title winner from Australia when he won the world bantamweight championship in 1968.

Young Griffo.

Griffo became the first world boxing champion from Australia when he won the world featherweight title in 1890. He also held the Australian featherweight title for many years before retiring in 1904.

Les Darcy.

Darcy, possibly the most famous Australian boxer of all time, has the distinction of holding the Australian Heavyweight title while also boxing as a middleweight. Tragically, he died of a strep infection at the age of 23.

Best Australian Author

Peter Carey

Now based in New York, Carey is one of only two authors to have won the Booker Prize twice. He’s a legitimate big-hitter of literature – up there with Rushdie, Roth and McCarthy. His 2001 novel, True History of the Kelly Gang, has no punctuation but it is exceptionally readable as Kelly’s remarkable bushwhacking adventures are given a fresh grainy interpretation. Also don’t miss his 1988 novel, Oscar and Lucinda - the story of an Anglican priest who meets an Australian heiress who owns a glass factory. They place a bet that the priest cannot transport a glass church to a settlement in the back of beyond.

JM Coetzee

He really is a South African but John Maxwell Coetzee lives in Australia and became an Aussie citizen two years ago. "I was attracted by the free and generous spirit of the people, by the beauty of the land itself and - when I first saw Adelaide - by the grace of the city that I now have the honour of calling my home." He won the 2003 Nobel Prize in Literature – not bad for a former computer programmer but awards count for little with Coetzee. He did not collect either of his Booker gongs, Life & Times of Michael K in 1983 and Disgrace in 1999, but London is a long away from Adelaide. The Observer newspaper polled literary types in 2006 and named Disgrace one of the ‘greatest novel of the last 25 years.’ Disgrace could win the Best of the Bookers vote.

David Malouf

A Lebanese-Australian author, Malouf is a playwright as well as a novelist. His 1993 novel Remembering Babylon was shortlisted for the Booker Prize – it is a tale of friendship and warfare. He is also well known for his 1982 Fly Away Peter – a book that examines Australia’s racist colonial past. Malouf is also an accomplished poet and short story writer.

Shirley Hazzard

Like so many Australians, Hazzard has travelled and lived around the world. She used to work for the United Nations as a clerk but quit the UN and its mountains of paperwork to become a full-time writer. She picked up a National Book Critics Circle Award in 1980 for her third novel, The Transit of Venus – the story of two sisters who travel to England from Australia in the 1950s in search of a fresh start. Hazzard has also penned two books criticizing the United Nations - Defeat of an Ideal and Countenance of Truth.

Thomas Keneally

Another of Australia’s major literary talents, Keneally won the 1982 Booker Prize with Schindler’s Ark – the moving story of a German entrepreneur who saves countless Jews from the death camps. The movie version was called Schindler’s List. He has written 30 novels as well non-fiction and plays. This guy was churning out novels decades before anyone regarded Australian literature as an international force.

Geraldine Brooks

Brooks, a former Sydney Morning Herald and Wall Street Journal reporter, won the Pulitzer Prize in 2006 for March – a book about the absent father from Little Women. Historical fiction is her specialty and this year People of the Book has earned rave reviews for its story of the Sarajevo Haggadah – a priceless Jewish book rescued from Serb shelling during the Yugoslavian war.

Tim Winton

One of the current flavours of the month for Breath – a book about surfing, recklessness and friendships, Winton has been producing novels since the early 1980s. He also writes plays, non-fiction, children’s fiction and short stories. Winton prefers to keep a low profile but supports environment issues. In Australia, he’s been a literary stalwart for a long time so international acclaim is overdue for this writer.

Helen Garner

A former high school teacher who was sacked for giving an impromptu sex education lesson to her 13-year-old pupils, Garner’s novels address sexual desire and the family. Australian female novelists are outnumbered by their male counterparts so Garner has been a figurehead since the 1970s. Her first novel, Monkey Grip,from 1977, tells the story of a group of people living on welfare in Melbourne.

Michelle de Kretser

Born in Sri Lanka, de Ketser immigrated to Australia when she was 14. She has worked as an editor at Lonely Planet and studied for an MA at the Sorbonne. With just three novels to her name, she is part of the new generation of Aussie novelists. The Lost Dog is picking up international acclaim – she’s the verge of the big time.

Markus Zusak

One of the hottest authors in the young adult genre, Zusak has enjoyed worldwide success with this novel, The Book Thief. The New York Times described it as ”Harry Potter and the Holocaust” as Death himself narrates this World War II-based story.

Australian Famous NBA Player

Andrew Bogut

7’0″, 245lbs, born in Melbourne, Australia.

Before Andrew Bogut came on the scene there were essentially two types of Aussies that made it to the NBA: 1) Really tall guys (Longley, Bradtke, Anstey) who were good at being tall, and 2) Great outside shooters (Heal, Gaze) who were good at shooting threes. Either way they were pretty limited roles that didn’t lend themselves to a lot of NBA court time unless you were lucky enough to be on a team with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. Aussies in the NBA were essentially a novelty, a foreign experiment. That was until Andrew Bogut came on to the scene. After catching the eye of many scouts in college as a big man with a soft touch and great smarts, Bogut rode the wave of hype all the way to a #1 selection in the 2005 NBA Draft. An Australian, the number 1 pick in the NBA Draft!! I’ll never forget that day. It was the day Australian basketball was stamped on the map.

Signature Move: The up-and-under left-handed hook shot, made so impressive by the fact he’s actually right-handed.

Andrew Gaze

6’7″, 205lbs, born in Melbourne, Australia.

Andrew Gaze is the greatest basketballer in the history of Australia’s National Basketball League, and will be for all eternity. Why? Because if Australia ever produces a player this good again, he will not spend 20 years playing in the NBL. To put it simply, Andrew Gaze is the Michael Jordan of the NBL. Just check his career achievements:

• 2 time NBL Champion with the Melbourne Tigers in 1993 and 1997
• 7 time Most Valuable Player (91, 92, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98)
• Won the NBL’s Most Efficient Player Award 8-straight years from 1990-1997
• NBL Leading Scorer 14 times (including 11-straight years from 1991-2001)
• All time NBA leading points scorer (18,908 points)
• A season average of 37.6 ppg back in 1990, only to be topped the following season with 38.8 pppg
• In 1995 he averaged 31.1 points, 8.1 assists and 5.3 rebounds

Signature Move: The layup.

Chris Anstey

7’0″, 249lbs, born in Melbourne, Australia.

Chris Anstey began his career as a nineteen year old playing for the Melbourne Tigers in 1994. It wasn’t until he moved to the South East Melbourne Magic the following season that his career really took off, being named the NBL’s Most Improved Player in 1996 and helping his team win the Championship that season (against his old team the Tigers, no less). Having established himself as one of Australia’s best big men he elected for the 1997 NBA Draft where he was taken at pick 18 by the Trail Blazers. His draft rights were then traded to the Mavericks for cash plus Kelvin Cato (how amusing!) and Anstey enjoyed reasonable success coming off the Mavericks bench, and actually starting in 8 games.

Signature Move: The three-pointer – no other Australian center has the range Anstey has.

Lanard Copeland

6’6″, 190lbs, born in Atlanta, Georgia.

Lanard Copeland is not Australian, but between the years of 1992 and 1999 approximately 82% of every dunk or alley-oop performed in Australia’s NBL was actually performed by Lanard Copeland. He was the guy that brought the essence of the NBA – crazy athleticism, soaring dunks, and black men – to Australia’s National Basketball League. Sure, more kids probably turned up to the games wearing Gaze jerseys, but it was a Lanard Copeland fast-break tomahawk they were all waiting to see. Copeland first tried his luck in the NBA, picked up undrafted by the 76′ers in 1989 where his career highlight was probably an 8 point, 2 rebound, 2 assist performance against the Hersey Hawkins-lead Los Angeles Clippers. Copeland got to play alongside Charles Barkley that season, but it would be the last season he played for the Sixers. He was later signed to a 10-day contract by the Clippers in 1991, but he mainly got garbage time minutes and struggled to make an impression. The following year he came to the NBL and thoroughly dominated – he averaged 28-4-3 in his rookie season and formed a unique bond with Melbourne Tigers teammate Andrew Gaze that would last over a decade.

Signature Move: The Gaze-to-Copeland alley-oop.

Luke Schenscher

7’1″, 255lbs, born in Hope Forrest, Australia.

Luke Schenscher played alongside Jarret Jack for Georgia Tech where he made the 2004 NCAA Championship Game (and lost to the Huskies). His NBA career was unfortunately not as successful. Despite not being drafted he found himself on both the Kings and Nuggets pre-season rosters, but ended up playing in the D-League that season for the Fort Worth Flyers. In March 2006 he signed a 10-day contract with the Bulls, becoming the third Aussie along with Longley and Anstey to play for Chicago. It was during this contract he exploded for his career-high 10 points to go with 4 rebounds against the Trailblazers and his former college teammate, Jack. So impressed were the Bulls they offered him another 10-day contract, then signed him for the remainder of the season. Schensher even got some playoff burn against the Heat, but similar to Heal, Gaze and Anstey before him, it was only garbage time minutes. He played a few games for the Trailblazers the next season but didn’t really make an impact. After playing a year in the German League he returned home to Australia to play for Adelaide in the NBL, where he is currently second in the league in rebounding behind Chris Anstey.

Signature Move: Setting screens

Australia's Guinness World Records

Domino’s Pizza

World record: Most pizzas made in 60 minutes

Domino’s Pizza is always looking at new, inventive marketing methods, and the company thrives on regularly challenging and breaking its own internal performance records. So it was no surprise when they decided to set an official Guinness World Record during a team building exercise. Many of the company’s best and brightest from the Australian and New Zealand outlets were brought together in the Bundaberg Domino’s Pizza restaurant for a weekend of pizza perfection. During the busiest hour of the Saturday evening, as pizza prices plummeted to attract hungry consumers, they pumped out 837 pizzas, breaking the previous world record by over 200.

Priceline and Women’s Health

World record: Largest breakfast in bed

Priceline Pharmacies has become somewhat of a serial record-breaking organisation, and they always do it in such style. In the past two years Priceline has set records for the most nails filed and varnished (eight hours), the largest make-up application class and this event, the largest breakfast in bed. All of the events have themes interwoven with the Priceline Sisterhood’s charity partners, such as Look Good Feel Better, which helps out women recovering from cancer treatment. The big brekky was in partnership with Women‘s Health magazine and intended to make participants feel great about themselves. Around 85 beds were shipped in to Sydney’s Martin Place and 289 people in those beds were given a freshly-cooked breakfast. The result? Great media and smiles all around.

The Gold Coast Bulletin

World record: Longest bikini parade

In what is both a record from late last year and an upcoming attempt late this year, the good people at The Gold Coast Bulletin decided to attract international attention to their stretch of beach by organising the longest bikini parade. The previous record stood at 331 bikini-clad women doing the one-mile parade (Cayman Islands, 2010), and the organisers were convinced they could knock it off. Would I like to come along to adjudicate? Why yes, I would! And it really was one of those perfect Queensland days. The weather could not have been better. The result was impressive too, with a new record of 357 women wearing bikinis. Media attention was enormous and international, so much so that Panama City Beach went on to break this record in March this year with 450 women. Then in August in Huludao City, Liaoning, China, 1085 ladies marched a mile in two-pieces. The people at The Gold Coast Bulletin want their record back, and are currently planning another event for late this year.

Blatchy’s Blues (State of Origin)

World record: Most people wearing wigs

At State of Origin game two in 2012 Dan Blatch, founder of Blatchy’s Blues, thought he could break a record and in doing so bring attention to the game he loves so much, the team he lives for and the thousands of people that have become his loyal followers. A sea of blue wigs (12,083 to be exact) confirmed his suspicions, and a small army of witnesses sent out to count them confirmed the record. The attempt was heavily supported by the NRL, earned respectable media coverage – particularly during the high-rating game – and spurred the Blues on to their only win of the three-game series.

CUE TV New Zealand

World record: Longest television interview

Having heard about the longest radio interview on the ABC, TV station owner and interviewer Tom Conroy from CUE TV in Invercargill, New Zealand, decided to attract national attention by creating his own record, the longest TV interview. He did so by interviewing storyteller extraordinaire Tim Shadbolt, one of New Zealand’s most fascinating and controversial figures, and current mayor of Invercargill, for 26 hours. And it really was a mesmerising chat. I was required at the record attempt for the first four hours and the last four hours. In between I was free to be a tourist, sleep etc. But I stayed for a total of 21 hours because Shadbolt’s stories were so captivating.

Australian Actors in Hollywood

Australia has produced many fine actors, some of whom have made their mark in Hollywood.

 

Heath Ledger

Heath Andrew Ledger was born on April 4 1979. This good-looking actor worked in many box-office hits like "The Patriot", "A Knight's Tale" and "Monster's Ball". He delivered a stunning performance in the movie "The Dark Knight", for which he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2009. Unfortunately, he died in January 22 2008. 

Russell Crowe

This amazing actor is well-known for his work in movies like "Gladiator". He won an Oscar in 2001 for his performance in this movie. Born on April 7 1964, this Australian actor was educated at the Sydney Boys High School. He has won numerous awards for his performances in movies like "The Insider" and "A Beautiful Mind". 

Hugh Jackman

Hugh Michael Jackman was born on October 12 1968 in Sydney, Australia. This versatile actor won international recognition for his performances in movies like "X-Men", "The Boy from Oz" and "Australia". 

Mel Gibson

Mel Colm-Cille Gerard Gibson was born on January 3 1956. He studied at the University of New South Wales in Sydney. Mel Gibson is well-known for his performances in movies like "Braveheart", "Lethal Weapon", "Forever Young", "Ransom", "Payback" and "The Patriot".

Nicole Kidman

Nicole Mary Kidman was born on June 20 1967. She began her career by acting in small Australian films and TV shows. This elegant actress has delivered memorable performances in movies like "Batman Forever", "Moulin Rouge!" and "The Hours". She has won many awards during her career. 

Cate Blanchett

Catherine Elise "Cate" Blanchett was born on May 14 1969 in Melbourne, Australia. Her performances in movies like "Elizabeth", "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" has won her several accolades. She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the movie "The Aviator". 

Naomi Watts

Naomi Ellen Watts was born on September 28 1968. She began her acting career on Australian television. She has acted in many popular movies like "The Ring". She won critical acclaim for her performance in David Lynch's psychological thriller "Mulholland Drive"

London Olympics 2012: Top Gold Medal Hopes of Australia

Swimming: James Magnussen - Men's 100m Freestyle 

Every Olympics, there are one or two Australians who carry not only the hopes but also the expectations of the nation into the Games, athletes who for whatever reason have been established as the hottest of favourites to take home a gold medal.

In Sydney, there was Ian Thorpe in the 400m freestyle and Cathy Freeman in the track version of the 400m.

In Athens, it was Drew Ginn and James Tomkins in the men's coxless pairs in rowing, and Grant Hackett in his bid for a second 1,500m freestyle title.

In Beijing, it was Hackett going for a third win in the 1,500 (as history tells us, these favourites do not always win) and Leisel Jones in the 100m breaststroke.

In London there is one man who carries that mantle, and he is James Magnussen - or the Missile, as he has come to be called.

Magnussen has the confidence born of being the current world champion and the fastest swimmer in the world this year, half a second clear of his team-mate James Roberts, and nearly a second faster than France's emerging star, Yannick Agnel.

It is 44 years since Michael Wenden became the last Australian to win the 100m freestyle at the Olympics. On day five of the Games in London, James Magnussen should end the wait for Australia's next champion in the blue-riband event.

 Athletics: Sally Pearson - Women's 100m Hurdles 

We could have easily added Sally Pearson to the number one ranking with James Magnussen, since she certainly has as much expectation on her shoulders as the swimming star.

There is one difference between the pair's Olympic campaigns, however. Assuming the Missile does not false start, then all things being equal, on best form, he is likely to win.

Sally Pearson has been equally dominant in her event of the 100m hurdles, but therein lies the problem. The hurdles.

Pearson is in the form of her life, as reigning world champion at the 100m hurdles, and world indoor champion over the 60m hurdles.

She has a clear performance advantage over the rest of the field, and yet all it will take for her Olympic dream to shatter is for her to clip just one of the ten hurdles in the Olympic Stadium.

Just ask Gail Devers, the American hurdler who was leading the field in Barcelona before hitting the final hurdle and stumbling across the line in fifth position. More recently in Beijing, US hurdler Lolo Jones was the favourite but hit the second last hurdle and finished seventh.

This year the 100m hurdles title has seemed like it is Pearson's to lose. She has the top three times of the year (her best is 12.40 seconds), and gives the impression she has more left in the tank.

Based on the evidence, it will take an outstanding performance by one of her rivals (likely to be Jamaica's Brigitte Foster-Hylton and American Kellie Wells) to deny Pearson the first victory for an Australian in the 100m hurdles, after three wins in the event's previous incarnation, the 80m hurdles (Shirley Strickland de la Hunty, 1952 and 1956 and Maureen Caird, 1968).

Sailing: 49er class - Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen

The Australian team has a number of strong gold medal chances in London, but the initial focus is the 49er sailing class, which has become the personal property of Nathan Outteridge over the last four years.

Outteridge, from Lake Macquarie in New South Wales, has won three out of the last four world championships in the class - one with Ben Austin, the latter two with Iain Jensen.

In Beijing, Outteridge and Austin were closing in on Olympic gold, only to capsize in the final race to blow their title chance. They finished out of the medals in fifth.

Outteridge and Jensen have been top of the Laser sailing world for years, and have won the leadup events on the Olympic course. All that remains is to win the gold medal and the pair are likely to do just that.

Cycling: Women's Keirin - Anna Meares

Anna Meares is already one of Australia's most inspirational Olympic athletes, not only for her record of success at Olympic, Commonwealth Games and world championship level, but also because of her amazing comeback from a devastating crash in early 2008 to win the silver medal in the individual sprint in Beijing.

She will ride in three races in London, and will have the majority of the crowd in the velodrome against her, as she is seen as the mortal enemy of British track cyclist Victoria Pendleton, who she will face in the individual sprint.

Pendleton may have the upper hand in the individual sprint. It is even possible that the Germans could beat Meares and Kaarle McCulloch in the team sprint. But the keirin is Meare's pet event.

As the two-time world champion in the keirin and with the motivation of winning the first running of the event at the Olympics, it is difficult to see her losing this race.

Men's and Women's BMX: Sam Willoughby and Caroline Buchanan

The BMX Olympic title is a gold medal for daredevils, and Australia has two of them that could easily trigger a double celebration in London.

Sam Willoughby is the number one ranked rider in the men's competition, and the world title holder. Caroline Buchanan is ranked second in the women's standings, and she won the world time-trial title in May. Both riders go into the Olympics in great form and full of confidence.