Irvin Peter Rockman

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(6 April 1938 – 30 August 2010) was an

Australian Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Au ...

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

, businessman, and

hotelier A hotel manager, hotelier, or lodging manager is a person who manages the operation of a hotel, motel, resort, or other lodging-related establishment. Management of a hotel operation includes, but is not limited to management of hotel staff, bu ...

who served as

Lord Mayor of Melbourne This is a list of the mayors and lord mayors of the City of Melbourne, a local government area of Victoria, Australia. Mayors (1842–1902) Lord mayors (1902–1980) The title of "Lord Mayor" was conferred on the position of mayor by Kin ...

from 1977 to 1979. In the early 1960s he established a chain of luxury motels known as the Parkroyal in Melbourne, Canberra and Brisbane. Designed by Theodore Bertram, they were distinguished by a large parabolic arch at the entrance. Rockman was alleged to have been involved in a 1988 drug smuggling scandal, but no charges were ever filed and Rockman maintained his innocence.

Personal life

Rockman was born on 6 April 1938 to Norman and Susie Rockman. His father's family had fled

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...

due to anti-Jewish persecution, as had his mother's family, who had fled from

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

. They settled in Melbourne, where Norman Rockman established a chain of clothing stores, which operated under the family name. Rockman attended high school at Wesley College. He then attended the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb nor ...

, where he undertook a commerce degree. Rockman was also a well-known

underwater diver Underwater diving, as a human activity, is the practice of descending below the water's surface to interact with the environment. It is also often referred to as diving (disambiguation), diving, an ambiguous term with several possible meani ...

. Irvin Rockman was married three times and had six children.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rockman, Irvin 1938 births 2010 deaths Jewish Australian politicians Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Mayors and Lord Mayors of Melbourne Businesspeople from Melbourne University of Melbourne alumni Deaths from cancer in Victoria (state) Australian underwater divers
Fathom guest photographer Irvin Rockman pages 8-11