Ron Harvey CVO AM

Every sport needs its administrators: those who can keep the cash tills full and those who look beyond the day-today to chart future directions. In Ron Harvey, basketball was fortunate to find a man who could do both with equal aplomb and class.

A representative player in his youth, Harvey first came to notice in the 1960’s when he led the successful effort to set up Basketball ACT as a governing body separate from New South Wales. While building a successful career in the Commonwealth Public Service, Harvey retained several leadership roles within the ACT basketball community and was awarded Life Membership of ACT Basketball in 1980.

In 1981, Harvey was appointed chairman of the NBL’s Canberra Cannons and along with Terry Ryan and Bob Turner built the League’s first commercial powerhouse. As NBL Chairman from 1984-86, Harvey was responsible for initiatives that secured the future financial success of the League and a more positive relationship with Basketball Australia. At the same time Harvey was president of Basketball Australia from 1982-1986.

Harvey would go on to make a significant contribution to the Olympic movement in Australia, recognised by the IOC with the Pierre De Coubertin medal in 2009 and Life Membership of the AOC in 2013. Harvey was Basketball Australia’s nominee to the Australian  Olympic Committee for 20 years and was awarded Life Membership of Basketball Australia in 2001. It is for his substantial involvement in the development and growth of basketball in Australia that we honour Ron Harvey by enshrining him as a Contributor into the Australian Basketball Hall of Fame.