John Michael Landy AC MBE, (born April 12, 1930) is a former track athlete and the 26th Governor of Victoria, Australia. He married his wife, Lynne, in 1971, and they have two children. While serving as Governor, John and Lynne Landy will reside in Government House.
Education
Born in Melbourne, John Landy attended school at Malvern Memorial Grammar School and Geelong Grammar School. He graduated from Melbourne University in 1954, receiving a Bachelor of Agricultural Science.
Landy has been awarded the honorary degrees of Doctor of Laws by the University of Victoria in 1994, Doctor of Rural Science by the University of New England, Australia in 1997, Doctor of Laws by The University of Melbourne in 2003 and Doctor of Laws by Deakin University in 2004.
Athletics
During his school years, Landy enjoyed watching 1500m track events, and was a member of the Australian Olympic team at the 1952 Summer Olympics and 1956 Summer Olympics. He held the world record for the 1500 metre dash as well as for the mile race. During an international meet held on June 21 1954 in Finland, he became the second man after Roger Bannister to achieve a sub-4 minute mile, recording a time of 3:58.
Landy is perhaps most famously remembered for his performance in the 1500 metres final at the Melbourne 1956 Olympic Games, where he stopped to help fellow Australian Ron Clarke after he fell early in the second last lap of the race. The pair were leading and setting what seemed like a world record pace, but Clarke tripped on the heel of a third runner moving through to the front. Landy and the rest of the field leapt over the fallen Clarke, Landy even injured him with his running spikes, but then turned back to help Clarke, the then-junior 1500m world champion, to his feet. Incredibly, Landy made up what was a large deficit to win the race and the gold medal in the final straight. It is considered one of the greatest moments in Australian sporting history. Said the National Centre for History and Education in Australia, "It was a spontaneous gesture of sportsmanship and it has never been forgotten." [1]
Accomplishments
On January 1 2001, Landy was appointed by Premier Steve Bracks as the 26th Governor of Victoria, succeeding Sir James Gobbo.
In 1955, John Landy was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for Services to Sport, and in 2001 he was made a Companion of the Order of Australia.
He was Commissioner-General for the Australian exhibit at Expo 92.
An avid naturalist, Landy has written two books on natural history. He worked as senior manager at ICI Australia , and had a successful public speaking career.
Boards and Councils
- Chairman Meat Research Corporation 1995-1998
- Chairman Wool Research and Development Corporation 1989-1994
- Chairman Athletics Task Force 1992-1993
- Chairman Coode Island Review Panel 1991-1992
- Chairman Clean Up Australia 1990-1994
- Chairman Australia Day Committee (Vic.) 1990-1993
- Chairman Athletics International Trust 1997 – 2000
- Chairman AWTA Ltd. Wool Education Trust 1997 – 2000
- Chairman Board of Governors, Australian National Insect Collection (housed at CSIRO Div. of Entomology, Canberra) 1995 – 2000)
- Director Australian Sports Drug Agency 1998 – 2000
- President Greening Australia (Vic.) 1998 – 2000
- Board Habitat Trust (Sustainable Development in the West Port Member Phillip Region) 1996 – 2000
- Advisory Centre for Plant Bio-Diversity Research, Australian National
Committee Herbarium, Canberra 1994 –1999
- Member Australia-Indonesia Institute 1993-1997
- Member ASTEC External Earnings Review Working Party (to examine the external earnings targets of CSIRO, ANSTO and AIMS)1993-1994
- Member Board of Directors, Bicentennial National Trail (Cooktown,
Qld. to Healesville, Vic.) 1987-1989
- Member Advisory Committee of CSIRO Division of Plant Industry
(an acknowledged leader in the field of Biotechnology) 1987-1992
- Chairman Organising Committee for the Bicentennial 200km Port Phillip Bay Team Run 1986-1988
- Member Board of Directors, Australian Institute of Sport 1985-1987
- Member Reference Areas Committee (Statutory Appointment) Concerned with management, prescription and policy for Victoria's system of Scientific Reference Areas 1979-1986
- Member Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Melbourne 1974-1984
- Member ABC Advisory Committee, Victoria 1974-1986
- President Athletics International, an organisation promoting Track and Field in Australia 1973-1977
- Member Graduate Council, University of Melbourne 1972-1974
- Foundation Land Conservation Council of Victoria 1971-1979 Member
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