Bill Armstrong (Australian footballer)

Bill Armstrong (born 28 June 1936) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Carlton in the Victorian Football League (VFL).[1] In 2003 Bill was made an Officer in the General Division of the Order of Australia (AO) "For service to the international community... and raising awareness of social justice and human rights issues".[2] His achievements have since been recognised through a perpetual award in his name, the Bill Armstrong AO Human Rights Award.[3]

For the University player, see William Armstrong (footballer).

Bill Armstrong
Personal information
Full name William Armstrong
Date of birth (1936-06-28) 28 June 1936
Original team(s) Chelsea
Height 177 cm (5 ft 10 in)
Weight 77 kg (170 lb)
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1958–59 Carlton 2 (0)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1959.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Early life

Bill grew up on a sheep farm in Alexandra, central Victoria. He completed his Intermediate Certificate at St Bedes College Mentone and then an apprenticeship in Fitting and Turning. From 1958 until 1963 he worked as a youth worker with the Young Christian Workers (YCW) Movement.

Australian football career

Bill is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Carlton in the Victorian Football League (VFL). He played two AFL league games for Carlton Football Club and won the seconds best and fairest in 1958.[4]

Working life and retirement

Bill Armstrong has been involved in Australian volunteering throughout his working, and retired life.

In 1964 he began a career in International Development as a staff member of the newly formed Overseas Service Bureau (now Australian Volunteers International, AVI) where he worked for seven years. During the 1970s he was National Co-ordinator of the Churches International Development Education Program, Action for World Development.

Bill was appointed chief executive officer of AVI in 1982, a position he held until 2002. When he took on the leadership role it was a small organisation of twelve or so staff and had a budget of $400,000. When he left, two decades later, staff had grown to 130 people nationally, the budget was over $20 million and the organisation managed 1000 volunteers in 45 countries, supporting developing countries and small and fragile states during times of crisis.

Since his retirement in 2002 he served as a member of the National Committee of Caritas Australia (2002-2009), a board member and vice-president of ActionAid Australia (formally Austcare—2003-2012) and as co-chair of Indigenous Community Volunteers (now Community First Development for a decade (2009-2019).

In 2022 a biography about Bill was published, 'Everything and nothing: the life and development work of Bill Armstrong'.[5]

Honours, decorations, awards and distinctions

In 1995 Bill was presented with a Friendship Award by the State Bureau of Foreign Experts, People’s Republic of China.

In 2000 he was the recipient of the Sir Edward Weary Dunlop Asia Medal, “In recognition of his significant contribution to forging stronger relations between Australia and Asia.”[6]

In 2003 Bill was made an Officer in the General Division of the Order of Australia (AO) “For service to the international community... and raising awareness of social justice and human rights issues ".[2]

In 2019, the ‘Bill Armstrong AO Human Rights Award’ was made in his honour on his retirement from Indigenous Community Volunteers (now Community First Development).[7]

The Bill Armstrong AO Human Rights Award

The annual award is presented to an individual in recognition of outstanding contributions towards the promotion and protection of human rights. The inaugural award was presented in 2020.[8] Recipients include Mervyn Eades (2020),[9] Doyen Radcliffe (2021),[10] and Dr Fiona Crockford (2022).[11]

Notes
  1. Holmesby, Russell; Main, Jim (2009). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers: every AFL/VFL player since 1897 (8th ed.). Seaford, Victoria: BAS Publishing. p. 29. ISBN 978-1-921496-00-4.
  2. Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (26 January 2003). "Australian Honours Lists". honours.pmc.gov.au. Archived from the original on 23 November 2021. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  3. "Bill Armstrong AO Human Rights Award". Community First Development. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  4. "Bill Armstrong's 80th – Spirit of Carlton Past and Present". Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  5. "Everything and Nothing". Everything and Nothing. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  6. Bond, Madeleine (9 February 2021). "Sir Edward 'Weary' Dunlop Asia Medal". Asialink. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  7. "NOMINATIONS NOW OPEN - BILL ARMSTRONG PERPETUAL HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD". Community First Development. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  8. "BILL ARMSTRONG AO HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD – 2020 WINNER ANNOUNCED". Community First Development. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  9. "Prominent WA activist helping turn lives around for former inmates". NITV. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  10. "CHAMPION OF HUMAN RIGHTS ACKNOWLEDGED FOR DECADES OF SERVICE TO FIRST NATIONS' COMMUNITIES AS PART OF HUMAN RIGHTS DAY". Community First Development. 10 December 2021. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  11. Author, Loop (1 February 2023). "Dr Crockford receives Human Rights award". Loop PNG. Retrieved 5 September 2023. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
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