Board Members

John Bertrand AO – Chair

John Bertrand AO is a businessman, international sportsman, and philanthropist. He has been Chair of the Sport Australia Hall of Fame Board since 2005.

He skippered the winged keel Australia II to victory over the US Defender Liberty to win the 1983 America’s Cup, breaking 132 years of American domination and in the process, breaking the longest-running record in the history of modern sport. The Confederation of Australian Sport voted the Australia II victory as the: Greatest team performance in 200 years of Australian sport. When Australia II crossed the finishing line (after coming from 3 races to 1 down), the nation celebrated as never before with the late Prime Minister Bob Hawke AC GCL summing it up, ”any boss who sacks anyone today for not turning up is a bum!”

A World champion and Olympic bronze medalist (Finn class, Montreal), Bertrand represented Australia in five America’s Cups and two Olympic Games.

In his business career, he successfully built companies in the marine industry, property development and digital media industries. He was co-founder and Chairman of Quokka Sports, a pioneering digital sports broadcast company based in Silicon Valley, San Francisco.

The America’s Cup winner, Olympic bronze medalist, and multiple world Etchell class sailing champion was inducted to the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1985 and in 2013 was elevated to Legend of Australian Sport.

John has an Honorary Doctorate from Victoria University, is a Vice Chancellor Professorial Fellow at Monash University and holds a Mechanical Engineering degree from Monash University and a Master of Science from MIT in Boston.

In 2016, Bertrand’s Order of Australia (AM) award was upgraded to Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in recognition for sporting administration, in particular swimming and sailing, children’s welfare, higher education and mentoring of young people.

Bertrand was President of Swimming Australia from 2013 until 2020 and continues to mentor young aspiring Olympians.

Achievements

• 1969: Graduated Monash University with a Bachelor of Engineering
• 1971: Graduated Boston MIT with a Master of Science
• 1984: Made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM)
• 1985: Inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame
• 1993: Inducted into the America’s Cup Hall of Fame
• 2000: Awarded the Australian Sports Medal
• 2001: Awarded the Centenary Medal
• 2004: Appointed to the Sport Australia Hall of Fame Board
• 2005: Appointed as Chair of the Sport Australia Hall of Fame Board
• 2013: Awarded Honorary Doctorate, Victoria University
• 2013: Elevated to Legend of Australian Sport
• 2014: Made Monash University Vice Chancellor Professional Fellow
• 2016: Upgraded to Officer of the Order of Australia (AO)

Perry Crosswhite AM – General Member Director

Perry Crosswhite AM has made a significant contribution to sport in Australia, both as an athlete and as a sports administrator where he’s played a major role in devising, establishing and administering programs which supported the resurgence and sustained success of Australian sport over more than three decades. Throughout his career he has held senior sports positions with the Australian Olympic Committee, 2000 Sydney Olympics, 2006/2018 Melbourne Commonwealth Games organising bodies, State and Federal Governments, Sport Australia (formerly Australian Sports Commission) and Australian Institute of Sport.

A former American who naturalised in 1971, Crosswhite was brought to Australia to play basketball by SAHOF Member Lindsay Gaze OAM and began his career with the Melbourne Tigers and played with this team from 1969 to 1980, a period in which the team won numerous Victorian and National Club championships. In recognition of his playing record, he was inducted into the Basketball Australia Hall of Fame in 2016.

He represented his adopted country in Basketball at the Munich 1972, Montreal 1976, and Moscow 1980 Olympic Games and captained the Australian Team at the latter two. He played over 300 games for Australia between 1970-1980 and was a member of the Headquarters staff at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and from 1991-1993 and was part of the team which bid successfully for the 2000 Olympics.

Crosswhite joined the Australian Commonwealth Games Association (ACGA) in 1995, initially as General Manager, before becoming the ACGA’s first CEO in 1999. In this position, and until his retirement in 2015, he was responsible for the funding, organisation and preparation of the Australian Teams which competed at the Commonwealth Games and Commonwealth Youth Games, as well as the many other programs and projects undertaken by the ACGA. Crosswhite was also a Director of the company which successfully bid to secure the rights to host both the 2006 Melbourne and 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, and subsequently became a Director of the both 2006 and 2018 Games organising committees.

His contribution to Australian sport extends beyond elite-level to include participation and, as the first professional Recreation/Sport Officer employed by the Victorian Government back in 1973, he is credited as having helped design, implement, and administer programs that expanded opportunities for Australians to participate in sport including ‘Sport for All’, ‘Aussie Sports’ and ‘Life. Be in It”.

In June 2007 Crosswhite was made a Member in the General Division of the Order of Australia in the Queen’s Birthday Awards for his service to sport, particularly through executive roles with the Commonwealth and Olympic Games organisations, and to basketball as a competitor at national and international levels. He was made a General Member of the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 2003.

Achievements

• 1998: Australian Sports Administrator of the Year
• 2000: Awarded the Australian Sports Medal
• 2003: Inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame
• 2007: Made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM)
• 2015: Awarded Australian Commonwealth Games Association Life Membership
• 2016: Inducted into the Basketball Australia Hall of Fame
• 2017: Appointed to the Sport Australia Hall of Fame Selection Committee
• 2018: Appointed to the Sport Australia Hall of Fame Board

Dawn Fraser AC MBE – Athlete Member Director

Dawn Fraser AC MBE is arguably Australia’s most decorated and most controversial athlete of all time. Known for her politically incorrect behaviour and larrikin character as much as her athletic ability, she won eight Olympic medals, and six British Empire and Commonwealth Games gold medals.

She won the Olympic 100m freestyle title at the 1956 Melbourne Games and went on to win it again at the 1960 Rome Games and the 1964 Tokyo Games, becoming the first and only swimmer of either sex to win the same event at three successive Olympics. She was the first woman to break the minute for the 100m freestyle, held the world record for that distance for an incredible sixteen years, and possessed 23 individual world records and was part of 12 team world records.

In retirement, she owned a cheese shop in Balmain and a hotel for five years and became Patron of the German Shepherd Dog Council of Australia (her favourite animal), Seahorse Nippers Noosa and Paws for Friendship.

Achievements

• 1961: Awarded Helms award
• 1962: First female to break one-minute barrier for the 100m freestyle
• 1964: Australian of the Year
• 1964: Awarded the ABC Sportsperson of the Year
• 1965: Inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame
• 1965: Made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
• 1980: Awarded the Olympic Order by the IOC
• 1985: Inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame – the inaugural female Inductee
• 1988: Bi-Centenary Ambassador
• 1988-1991: Elected to the NSW State Parliament, representing the City of Balmain
• 1993: Elevated to Legend of Australian Sport
• 1998: Made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) Awarded AO
• 1999: Voted Female Swimmer of the Century
• 1999: Voted Athlete of the Century by the Sport Australia Hall of Fame
• 1999: Voted the World’s Greatest Living Female Water Sports Champion
• 2000: Awarded the Australian Sports Medal
• 2000: Voted the First Lady of the Sydney Olympic Games by the IOC
• 2018: Made a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC)
• 2019: Awarded Life Member of Swimming Australia
• 2019: Appointed to the Sport Australia Hall of Fame Board

Hon. Martin Pakula – Independent Director

Martin Pakula completed a Bachelor of Economics at Monash University in 1989 and an Honours Degree in Law in 1991. After leaving university Martin completed articles at Macpherson and Kelley and was admitted to practice in 1993.

From 1993 to 2006, Martin worked as as an official of the National Union of Workers where he served as Assistant Secretary of the Victorian Branch from 2000-2004 and as Victorian Branch Secretary and National Vice President from 2004-2006. Martin also served as a Director of LUCRF Super from 2004-2006.

In 2006 Martin was elected to the Victorian Legislative Council electorate of Western Metropolitan where he served till 2013 and in 2013 he was elected to the Legislative Assembly seat of Lyndhurst (later renamed Keysborough) which he represented till 2022.

Whilst in State Parliament Martin held a range of ministerial portfolios including Minister for Industry and Trade, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Public Transport, Attorney General, Minister for Racing, Minster for Tourism, Sport and Major Events and Minister for Jobs and Innovation

Martin is a Major Projects Advisor at the Australian Football League and a Non-Executive Director of Helloworld Travel Limited

Achievements

• 1989: Graduated from Monash University – Bachelor of Economics
• 1991: Graduated from Monash University – Honours Degree in Law
• 2006: Elected to the Victorian Legislative Council
• 2013: Elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly
• 2023: Appointed to the Sport Australia Hall of Fame Board