Peter FitzSimons facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Peter FitzSimons AM
FitzSimons in 2013
Born	Peter John FitzSimons (1961-06-29) 29 June 1961 (age 63) Sydney, Australia
Occupation	Journalist writer radio and television personality former rugby union football player
Education	Knox Grammar School Findlay High School
Alma mater	University of Sydney
Genre	Non-fiction
Years active	1987–present
Spouse	Lisa Wilkinson ​ (m. 1992)​
Rugby career
Rugby union career
Position(s) Lock Amateur team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) – Sydney University Football Club () – Manly RUFC () 1985–1989 CA Brive () National team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 1989–1990 Australia 7 ()

Peter John FitzSimons AM (born 29 June 1961) is a well-known Australian author, journalist, and TV personality. He used to be a professional rugby union player for Australia. He was also the leader of the Australian Republic Movement for several years.

Early Life and School

FitzSimons grew up in a place called Peats Ridge in New South Wales. He was one of seven children in his family. He went to Peats Ridge Public School and Knox Grammar School. In 1978, he spent a year in Ohio, USA, as an exchange student. After that, he studied arts at the University of Sydney.

Career Highlights

Playing Rugby

Peter FitzSimons started playing club rugby in Sydney with the Sydney University Football Club and then the Manly RUFC. From 1985 to 1989, he played in France for a team called CA Brive. He was their first player from another country!

He played seven big games, called "Test matches," for the Australian national team (the Wallabies) in 1989 and 1990. He played in the position called lock. His first game for Australia was against France in November 1989. His last game was against the All Blacks from New Zealand.

Another famous Wallabies player, David Campese, once said that Peter's actions during a game were not good for rugby. He felt that such actions could make people not want to watch the sport. But another player, Willie Ofahengaue, remembered Peter as a "big character" and a "funny guy" who was very talkative.

Being a Journalist

Since 1988, Peter FitzSimons has written for The Sydney Morning Herald, a big newspaper. He has been a sports writer for them since 1987. You might also see him on the TV show The Back Page, where they talk about sports.

On Saturdays, he writes a column called "The Fitz Files" for The Sydney Morning Herald, sharing sports news from the week. On Sundays, he writes a similar column for The Sun-Herald about community events in Sydney. Some people, like Andrew Denton, have called him "Australia's best sports journalist."

Working in Radio

In 2006, Peter FitzSimons started hosting a morning radio show in Sydney on station 2UE. He worked with Mike Carlton. They hoped to get more listeners, but their show was still behind another popular program. After two years, Peter decided to leave radio to focus more on his writing and be a stay-at-home dad.

Becoming an Author

Peter FitzSimons is a very busy writer and one of Australia's most popular non-fiction authors. He has written many books about interesting people and events. Some of his books are about Nancy Wake (a spy), the shipwreck of the Batavia, Sir John Monash (a general), Breaker Morant (a soldier), Charles Kingsford Smith (a pilot), and John Eales (a rugby player).

Community Work

Peter FitzSimons has been involved in many community groups. He was a leader at the University of Sydney and a supporter of The Russell Prize for Humour Writing. He also led the Australian Republic Movement from 2015 to 2022. This group wants Australia to have its own head of state, instead of the British monarch.

He also helped start the Cauliflower Club, a group that supports rugby players and others who have been injured.

In 2017, Peter started a campaign to stop the old Sydney Football Stadium and Stadium Australia from being knocked down. He created a petition that got many signatures. He wrote articles saying that the stadiums should not be demolished. Even though the government went ahead with some stadium changes, Peter's campaign helped to change the plans for Stadium Australia.

Personal Life

Peter FitzSimons is married to Lisa Wilkinson, who is also a famous Australian journalist and TV presenter. They have three children and live in Sydney.

Peter has said that he does not believe in God (he is an atheist) and that he supports Australia becoming a republic.

His Famous Bandana

Peter FitzSimons is well known for always wearing a red bandana. He says he wears it because his children gave it to him. Sometimes, people jokingly call him "Pirate Pete" because of his headwear!

Awards and Honours

On 13 June 2011, Peter FitzSimons was given a special award called Member of the Order of Australia. He received this honour for his great work as a writer, sports journalist, and for helping the community in many ways, including conservation and supporting people with disabilities.