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Bunbury boxing legend Bill Ivory officially awarded OAM after visit from WA Governor

Kasper JohansenBunbury Herald
Former heavyweight boxer Bill Ivory with his Medal of the Order of Australia.
Camera IconFormer heavyweight boxer Bill Ivory with his Medal of the Order of Australia. Credit: Kasper Johansen

Bunbury boxing legend Bill Ivory has been recognised for his service to the sport after a visit from the WA Governor to officially present his Medal of the Order of Australia.

Surrounded by former boxing students, friends and family, the 100-year-old former heavyweight was honoured not only for his huge impact on Bunbury’s youth but also for more than 60 years of volunteering at the Bunbury PCYC.

WA Governor Chris Dawson said it was a great honour to be able to award Mr Ivory the OAM.

“As a former patron of the PCYC, it’s a great honour for me to be able to award Bill the OAM in all of that wonderful service. I can think of no greater, more worthy person to be able to receive this,” he said.

 Bunbury boxing legend OAM Bill Ivory and WA Governor Chris Dawson.
Camera Icon Bunbury boxing legend OAM Bill Ivory and WA Governor Chris Dawson. Credit: Kasper Johansen

Mr Ivory said making it as one of almost 1000 Australians recognised in the 2022 Queen’s Birthday Honours list was the “cherry on top” and being surrounded by friends he had made through volunteering proved he had a “good life”.

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“It was a sort of awakening that ‘OK, everything you’ve done must have been all right’, I must have been helping people and that’s what I’ve always, apparently, got a kick out of,” he said.

“My time volunteering involved meeting up with people — older people and younger people — who became interested in bit of boxing and I also developed some really good friendships.”

Mr Ivory spent most of his life in the ring and continued to coach in his garden shed until last year. He has coached, refereed and competed in professional fights, winning 50 of his 55 bouts.

Mr Ivory began his volunteering journey after retiring in 1946 with the PCYC in Subiaco before moving to Bunbury, where he became a life member in 1958.

Bunbury boxer Bill Ivory.
Camera IconBunbury boxer Bill Ivory. Credit: Unknown/Supplied

Mr Ivory said the accolades of individual events did not matter so much as long as everyone knew he was “always there to help”.

“It doesn’t have to be any accolades of individual events or anything; put them all together and if he’s considered a good bloke after they’ve all come together, that’s pretty good,” he said.

“Today has been a good day.”

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