Nicholas Shehadie facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sir Nicholas Shehadie AC OBE
Shehadie in the 1940s
75th Lord Mayor of Sydney
In office 24 September 1973 – 26 September 1975
Deputy	Barrett Lewis Leo Port
Preceded by	David Griffin
Succeeded by	Leo Port
Alderman of the City of Sydney
In office 1 December 1962 – 13 November 1967
Constituency	Northcott Ward
In office 27 September 1969 – 18 September 1977
Constituency	Macquarie Ward
2nd Chairman of the Special Broadcasting Service
In office 10 July 1981 – 17 December 1999
Preceded by	Grisha Sklovsky
Succeeded by	Carla Zampatti
Personal details
Born	Nicholas Michael Shehadie (1926-11-15)15 November 1926 Coogee, New South Wales, Australia
Died	11 February 2018(2018-02-11) (aged 91) Mosman, New South Wales, Australia
Resting place	Waverley Cemetery
Political party	Independent
Spouse	Dame Marie Bashir
Rugby career
School	Cleveland St Public School Crown St Commercial School
Rugby union career
Position(s) Front row/Second row Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 1942–1958 Randwick DRUFC 175 () Provincial / State sides Years Team Apps (Points) 1943–1957 New South Wales 37 () National team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 1947–1958 Australia 30 ()

Sir Nicholas Michael Shehadie (born 15 November 1926 – died 11 February 2018) was a very important Australian. He was the Lord Mayor of Sydney from 1973 to 1975. Before that, he was a famous rugby union player. He even captained the Australian national team, the Wallabies.

Sir Nicholas played 30 international matches for Australia between 1947 and 1958. Later, he became the President of the Australia Rugby Union. In this role, he helped create the Rugby World Cup, a huge international rugby tournament. He is remembered in both the Australian Rugby Union Hall of Fame and the IRB Hall of Fame.

Growing Up in Sydney

Nicholas Michael Shehadie was born on 15 November 1926. His family was Lebanese Greek Orthodox. They lived in Coogee, a beachside suburb of Sydney. Nicholas was the third of five children. His parents, Hannah and Michael Shehaidie, came to Sydney from Lebanon in 1925. Nicholas spent his childhood in Redfern, Sydney. He went to Cleveland St Public School and then Crown St Commercial School.

A Star Rugby Player

Nicholas loved sports from a young age. He joined the Coogee Surf Club. Many surfers there also played rugby. He joined the Randwick Rugby Club. He was so good that he played for the first-grade team at just 15 years old.

Playing for New South Wales

At 16, he played his first game for New South Wales. In 1947, he played for New South Wales against New Zealand. Soon after, he made his first appearance for Australia. This was in a match against the New Zealand All Blacks.

Touring the World with the Wallabies

Nicholas was chosen for the 1947–48 Wallaby tour. He was one of the youngest players in the team. He played 24 games on this tour. This included matches against England and France.

In 1949, he toured New Zealand again. His team won the Bledisloe Cup for the first time ever. He also played against other famous teams. These included the British and Irish Lions and Fiji.

Becoming a Captain

In 1953, Nicholas toured South Africa. He was honored to be the captain for eight tour matches. He also captained one international Test match.

In 1957, he made history. He was the first Wallaby to tour the British Isles and Europe twice. He played 24 matches on this trip. He was also asked to play for the Barbarians team. This was a special honor.

Rugby Records

Nicholas played 175 games for Randwick Rugby Club. He played for Australia 114 times. He was the first player to reach 100 games for Australia. He played 30 Test matches, which was a record at the time. He was captain in three of these Test matches.

Life in Public Service

After his rugby career, Nicholas started a business. He sold special flooring for hotels and computer rooms. His business was very successful.

Serving as Lord Mayor

In 1962, Nicholas started his career in public office. He became an alderman for the City of Sydney. He worked to improve the city. He helped develop Martin Place, making it a beautiful area without traffic.

In 1973, he was elected Lord Mayor of Sydney. This was a very important job. During his time as Lord Mayor, the famous Sydney Opera House was opened. Queen Elizabeth II opened it on 20 October 1973. He also welcomed Prince Charles and Anne, Princess Royal to Sydney.

Helping the Community

From 1981 to 1999, Sir Nicholas was the Chairman of the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS). SBS is a TV and radio network in Australia. It provides shows in many languages. This helps reflect Australia's diverse culture.

He also supported The Infants' Home Child and Family Services. He opened new childcare centers for them. He was also Chairman of The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award - Australia. This program helps young people develop important life skills.

Leading in Sports Administration

Changing Rugby for the Better

In 1979, Nicholas became Chairman of the New South Wales Rugby Union. This gave him a seat on the Australian Rugby Union board. In 1980, he became President of the ARU. He held this position until 1987.

He made important changes to rugby rules. He helped make schoolboy rugby safer. He changed rules about how players push in scrums. This helped prevent neck injuries.

Creating the Rugby World Cup

Nicholas was key in creating the Rugby World Cup. Discussions about a world cup started in 1983. Australia and New Zealand strongly supported the idea. Other countries were not so sure at first.

After a lot of effort, a vote was held in 1985. The idea was approved! Nicholas was chosen to help lead the first Rugby World Cup committee. The first tournament was held in 1987. After this success, he became a life member of the ARU.

In 2011, Nicholas was honored. He was inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame. This was for his big role in creating the Rugby World Cup.

Sydney Cricket Ground Trustee

Nicholas was a member of the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) for many years. In 1978, he became a Trustee of the SCG. He served as a Trustee until 2001. From 1990 to 2001, he was the chairman.

During his time, lights were added to the SCG. The Sydney Football Stadium was also built. A stand at the stadium was named in his honor. In his last year as chairman, a Walk of Honour was opened. It has plaques for 33 sporting champions. Sir Nicholas Shehadie is one of them.

His Family Life

Nicholas's grandfather, also named Nicholas Shehadie, was a clergyman. He came from Lebanon in 1910. He became the head of the Antioch Church in Australia and New Zealand. Nicholas's father, Michael, also came to Australia. He was a chemist and a shopkeeper. He also became a church leader.

In February 1957, Nick Shehadie married Marie Bashir. She later became Governor of New South Wales from 2001 to 2014. They had three children and six grandchildren. The family lived in Mosman from 1960 until his death.

Remembering Sir Nicholas

Sir Nicholas Shehadie passed away on 11 February 2018, at 92 years old. He was given a state funeral. This is a special ceremony for important people. It was held at St James' Church on 21 February 2018.

Many important people attended his funeral. These included former Governors-General and Prime Ministers. Current and former Premiers of New South Wales were also there. Many famous rugby players and coaches attended too. Sir Nicholas was buried privately at Waverley Cemetery in Bronte.

Awards and Recognition

Sir Nicholas Shehadie received many honors for his service:

• 1 January 1971: He was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). This was for his work in local government.
• 1 January 1976: He was given the title of Knight Bachelor. This was for his service as Lord Mayor of Sydney.
• 1985: He was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.
• 11 June 1990: He became a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC). This was for his service to media, sport, and the community.
• 28 July 2000: He received the Australian Sports Medal. This was for his work as President and Captain of the Australian Rugby Team.
• 1 January 2001: He was awarded the Centenary Medal. This was for his service to the community.
• 17 May 2001: He was made a Knight of the Order of St John.
• 2006: He was inducted into the Australian Rugby Union Hall of Fame.
• 24 October 2011: He was inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame.