Indigenous Australian boxing world championLionel Rosebecame one of Australia's most famous sportsmen afterbeatingJapansMasahiko 'Fighting' Haradafor the world bantamweight title in 1968. (Photo, 1988.)
I drove to Drouin to take this photo, accompanied byreporter Stuart Rintoul.
During their interview, Rintoulreferred to a difficult time in the champs life, when, some years earlier,police had found Rosehiding behind a cupboard in a school. (Rose wasarrestedfor trespassing with intent to steal and subsequently fined.)
Rintoul looked Rose squarely in the eyes and said in achallenging voice:
Rose replied:
Rintoul asked:
No, said the champ:
The three of us fell aboutlaughing. It was a genuine icebreaker and Stuart went on to conduct an honest and revealing interview with one of Australias great sportsmen and characters.
The portrait I took, capturingLionels cheeky grin,highlights hisrelaxed composure.
Rose was funny, much of his humour self-deprecating. A champion, in so many ways.
Bill McAuley's 40-plus-year news career began in 1969 as a cadet photographer at 'The Age' in Melbourne.
He has several publishedcollections, including 'Portraits of the Soul: A lifetime of images with Bill McAuley' and the recently launched, 'Last light on Victoria Dock, 1999'. To see more from Bill, clickhere.
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