Ronald Joseph Walker (15 September 1939 – 30 January 2018) was an Australian businessman best known for his work in managing sporting events. He was also involved with property development and media companies, as well as serving 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 Ki ...

from 1974 to 1976.

Biography

The son of a

Hoyts The Hoyts Group of companies in Australia and New Zealand includes Hoyts Cinemas and Val Morgan. Hoyts operates more than 450 cinema screens and 55,000 seats, making it Australia's second largest movie exhibitor after Event Hospita ...

Cinema senior supervisor, Walker attended Caulfield Grammar School and as a schoolboy, he started his first business at a backyard in Collingwood, making dishwashing detergents and washing cars. He then sold newspapers at a train station. Elected to the Melbourne city council in 1969, he served as the

from 1974 to 1976. He became a prominent

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...

figure, working as honorary National Treasurer from 1987 to 2002. In 1988, he was appointed as a Commissioner for Melbourne's 1996 Olympics bid to host the Games. His relationship with former Liberal Victorian Premier, Jeff Kennett, helped him to become the Chairman of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, after Walker helped deliver Melbourne the hosting rights for the event from

Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...

in 1993. However, it was

Labor Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the la ...

Premier

Joan Kirner Joan Elizabeth Kirner (née Hood; 20 June 1938 – 1 June 2015) was an Australian politician who was the 42nd Premier of Victoria, serving from 1990 to 1992. A Labor Party member of the Parliament of Victoria from 1982 to 1994, she was a mem ...

who appointed Walker as Chairman of the Melbourne Major Events Company, the body which managed both the bids for the Grand Prix and the 2006 Commonwealth Games. Walker was also the Chairman of Melbourne 2006, the organising body for the 2006 Commonwealth Games. During his business career he held large stakes in companies such as People Telecom, Primelife and Buka Minerals. In 1976, he held a partnership with another Melbourne businessman, Lloyd Williams. The pair formed a property development company called Hudson Conway, which developed the Crown Casino complex in Melbourne and was the casino's first operator. In 2000, Walker resigned from Hudson Conway, netting approximately from the sale of his shares. In 2003 he co-founded, and was chairman of Evolve Development, a private property development and investment group based in Melbourne. Between 2005 and 2009, Walker was chairman of

Fairfax Media Fairfax Media was a media company in Australia and New Zealand, with investments in newspaper, magazines, radio and digital properties. The company was founded by John Fairfax as John Fairfax and Sons, who purchased ''The Sydney Morning Herald' ...

, publisher of both ''

The Age ''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory ...

'' and ''

The Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily compact newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and owned by Nine. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper ...

'' newspapers and a range of other media assets. Walker decided to not seek re-election as chairman of the Fairfax board following a public and acrimonious boardroom dispute in 2009. By June 2011, Walker was reported as leading a group of wealthy Melbourne investors that approached Fairfax Media and sought to acquire ''The Age'' and radio station 3AW from Fairfax. However, their approaches were rebuffed. Walker also served as Chairman of the Microsurgery Foundation of the Bernard O'Brien Institute of St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne. The aim of the Foundation is to raise funds for research, equipment and building infrastructure for the O'Brien Institute.

Personal life

In 2010, he underwent emergency

brain surgery Neurosurgery or neurological surgery, known in common parlance as brain surgery, is the medical specialty concerned with the surgical treatment of disorders which affect any portion of the nervous system including the brain, spinal cord and peri ...

after falling off his bike in Melbourne's Royal Botanic Gardens. He also suffered broken ribs and concussion in the fall. Walker's interests included a collection of classic cars and property; and he had an estimated net worth of A$978 million according to the 2011 '' BRW'' Rich 200. He was married to Barbara, with three children. He died from cancer on 30 January 2018.

Awards

Walker received a range of imperial and Australian

honour Honour (British English) or honor (American English; see spelling differences) is the idea of a bond between an individual and a society as a quality of a person that is both of social teaching and of personal ethos, that manifests itself as a ...

s including: *

Commander of the Order of the British Empire 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 ...

in the

1977 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1977 are appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms to celebrate the year passed and mark the beginning of 1977. The awards were announced on 30 December 1976 in the United Kingdom,United Kingdom: Australia,Australia: Ne ...

for service to local government * Officer of the Order of Australia in 1987 for service to the community and to social welfare * Centenary Medal in 2001 for outstanding service to the Australian community, particularly in Victoria *

Companion of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...

in 2003 for service to business, the arts and the community, and to raising the profile of Australia internationally with significant benefit for tourism and employment. In 1975 Walker was named as Victoria's Outstanding Man of the Year during his term as Lord Mayor of Melbourne; Victorian Father of the Year in 1976, and

Victorian of the Year The Victorian of the Year is an award given to the most outstanding Victorian in any given year. The Victorian of the Year is awarded in Melbourne by the Victoria Day Council as part of Victoria Day celebrations on 1 July annually. The Victoria ...

in 1994.

References

External links

Melbourne 2006 biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Walker, Ron 1939 births 2018 deaths People educated at Caulfield Grammar School Australian Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Companions of the Order of Australia Recipients of the Centenary Medal Mayors and Lord Mayors of Melbourne Businesspeople from Melbourne Deaths from melanoma Deaths from cancer in Australia

Biography

Personal life

Awards

See also

References

External links