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AIS visionary remembered in Canberra

11 April 2023

A special piece of the Australian Institute of Sport’s history is set to go on display to remember Hon Robert James Ellicott AC KC incredible contribution to sport.

John Ellicott, son of AIS pioneer Bob Ellicott, presents AIS jacket to EGM of AIS Performance, Matti Clements, and AIS Performance Services Manager, Julian Jones.
John Ellicott, son of AIS pioneer Bob Ellicott, presents AIS jacket to EGM of AIS Performance, Matti Clements, and AIS Performance Services Manager, Julian Jones.

Mr Ellicott was the visionary of the AIS. As the Minister for Home Affairs and the ACT under Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser in the 1970s, Mr Ellicott devised a concept for a national high performance sporting facility, a concept which led to the opening of the AIS in Canberra in 1981.

More than 40 years after Mr Ellicott helped revolutionise the Australian sporting landscape, his son John  returned to the Canberra campus to present an original AIS blazer to staff. The blazer will now join other important pieces of Australian sporting memorabilia on site.

ASC Research and Innovation Manager Tim Kelly (R) and AIS Performance Services Manager Julian Jones (L) speak with John Ellicott (C), the son of AIS pioneer Bob Ellicott.

To learn more about the history of the AIS and the role it has played in the nation’s sporting success, visit the Australian Sports Commission website here.

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