Vale James Strong

Mr Strong, who died in Melbourne aged 68, was a unique Australian whose wisdom, leadership and adventurous spirit contributed greatly to the fabric of our nation.

Mr Bow Tie, as he was known due to his fondness for such neckwear, Mr Strong was the chairman of the V8 Supercars championship, a role in which last November last year and was a director of Dorna Sports, which manages MotoGP worldwide.
 
Mr Strong made a strong contribution to tourism, especially when he ran the national airline Qantas between 1983 and 2001 and other major corporations. 

He was appointed chair of the Australian organising committee for the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup.

Mr Strong was Chairman of the Australia Council for the Arts, a Board Member of CanAssist and the Sydney Writers' Festival and a member of the Nomura Australia Advisory Board and Australian Grand Prix Corporation.

A celebrated lawyer, James Strong was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2006 for his services to business and commerce, particularly in the aviation, insurance and retail fields, and to the arts as an administrator and philanthropist. 

Mr Strong’s achievements include Australian Centenary Medal for contributions to aviation and the arts, the Sir Charles McGrath Award for Excellence in Marketing, the Monash University and Mount Eliza Alumni Award for Leadership and the Smithsonian Institute's Laureate Hall of Fame Award for Commercial Air Transport. 

A man of adventurous spirit and varied interests, Mr Strong was a keen motorbike rider, pilot and mountain climber with a love of opera. He was a strong patron of the arts.

He was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2006 for services to business and commerce and to the arts as an administrator and philanthropist.

James Strong will be sadly missed, especially by those in the tourism, sports and arts world and I offer my deepest sympathy to his family and friends.