I met Lionel Rose when I was 9 years and he was slightly younger. We met at the Lord Mayors Camp at Portsea. There were three aboriginal children at the camp and he was their leader. I knew they were aboriginal because the first night we were there and assembled in the dining room the Camp Leader asked if there were any aboriginal children in the camp. These three put up their hands. Over the next fortnight the three aboriginals kept to themselves or perhaps no one else would mix with them. Whatever - they went around in a group. Not having met an aboriginal before I sought out their company. I was probably being pompous and condescending but I was curious. Lionel was their leader and he already had it in mind what he was going to do with his life. He was going to become world boxing champion. I had some knowledge of boxing in so far as reading about it in the newspaper and going to the boxing tent at the annual agricultural show in Wangaratta. I knew who the world champs were in some of the categories. This was enough for Lionel. He was willing to talk boxing and boxers. He was extremely well informed. He actually knew one of the boxers who had been to the Wangaratta show and I had seen. Lionel wasn't very impressed with someone who would stoop to boxing at country show tents. He was never going to demean himself by boxing in a traveling tent. What struck me about him was how ambitious he was. What struck me was how confident he was. What struck me was how ruthless he was prepared to be. He was not afraid to speak his mind. He spoke with complete authority. He did not appear to have any weaknesses. He gave absolutely no hint of shyness or being intimidated by any adult. He was going to be world champ. No one was going to stop him.
He never once included his being aboriginal as integral to his ambitions. As far as I recall he never mentioned the word aboriginal or referred to being aboriginal himself. He was an individual focused entirely on his one ambition.
Later on when he did indeed become world champion I was struck how he appeared to have lost his confidence. He was different to when he was young. He appeared to have lost all his ambitions. He was shy on TV. He had become inarticulate. He did not like talking. He appeared to be completely intimidated by most of the other personalities on TV. He exhibited a humbleness that he never showed when he was young. He did not even seem to be the same person. His appearance and body shape had even changed somewhat. He didn't look as sleek and as fit. Or as powerful. Or as dangerous. He didn't even seem to be as good a boxer as when he was young. When he was 9 he was so good he already could have been world champ.
I did have the chance to speak to him towards the end of his life - not that I knew he was going to die so young. I would see him sometimes at the football at Waverley. We were both VFL members and he would walk up and down the concourse stopping to talk to people he knew before the match started. I was always too shy to interrupt him when he was talking to someone. I thought that if he was alone for a minute or two I would approach him and remind him of the past. But I never got the opportunity. So I never spoke to him.
Neville Gibb
September 2018
He never once included his being aboriginal as integral to his ambitions. As far as I recall he never mentioned the word aboriginal or referred to being aboriginal himself. He was an individual focused entirely on his one ambition.
Later on when he did indeed become world champion I was struck how he appeared to have lost his confidence. He was different to when he was young. He appeared to have lost all his ambitions. He was shy on TV. He had become inarticulate. He did not like talking. He appeared to be completely intimidated by most of the other personalities on TV. He exhibited a humbleness that he never showed when he was young. He did not even seem to be the same person. His appearance and body shape had even changed somewhat. He didn't look as sleek and as fit. Or as powerful. Or as dangerous. He didn't even seem to be as good a boxer as when he was young. When he was 9 he was so good he already could have been world champ.
I did have the chance to speak to him towards the end of his life - not that I knew he was going to die so young. I would see him sometimes at the football at Waverley. We were both VFL members and he would walk up and down the concourse stopping to talk to people he knew before the match started. I was always too shy to interrupt him when he was talking to someone. I thought that if he was alone for a minute or two I would approach him and remind him of the past. But I never got the opportunity. So I never spoke to him.
Neville Gibb
September 2018
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