Supporting the sports stars of the future

January 08, 2007

Former Lord Mayor of Brisbane Clem Jones loves sport.

A lifetime member of Sport UNE, and vice-patron of UQ sport, Mr Jones was made an associate member of the Australian Sporting Hall of Fame in recognition of his contributions to Australian sport. One such contribution is his sponsorship of the Clem Jones sporting scholarships for student athletes at UNE. Among notable athletes to have received this scholarship are Brumbies winger Francis Fainifo and champion cross-country skier Katie Calder.

In 2006, seven athletes benefited from Mr Jones' support, to the tune of $9000.

Mr Jones' connection with UNE goes back to the 1950s, when he was Secretary of the Queensland University Sports Association. Queensland University wanted to play intervarsity sport but found the cost of travel to Sydney and Melbourne prohibitive. When he learned that UNE had been prevented from playing in the intervarsity games on the grounds that it was then a college of the University of Sydney and not a "real" university, he helped establish a regular competition between UQ and UNE. Students competed in sports including cricket, tennis, and football.

"In the course of that I made a lot of very good friends," Mr Jones said. He donated a trophy, the Clem Jones Shield, which is still contested in competitions between UQ and UNE.

Mr Jones said he was pleased with the success of the UNE athletes he sponsored.

"I have met one or two of them, and I get correspondence from a few of them," he said. "They say how well things are going."

"It's been a very rewarding exercise."

Pictured: Clem Jones scholarship recipient Tom Bedford.

Posted by Leon Braun at January 8, 2007 11:00 AM