Australian

Lionel Rose:

Of The Year

In Italy recently a young Aus tralian Aboriginal actor dis covered that Italians were amazed to hear he was an actor. As far as the Italians were concerned, he said, Abo

riginals were people who

wandered around Central Aus

talia eating witchetty grubs.

Let’s hope that another myth was

exploded.

These days many of Australia’s indigenes are taking their place in modern Australia —and also overseas.

No better example of the Abori ginals’ recent rise to stardom (other than in films) is young good-looking Lionel Rose, world bantamweight boxing champion and—more im portantly—Australian of the Year, a considerable feat for an Abori ginal.

Considering Rose’s recent boxing triumphs it’s not surprising that some one should whack out a book on Rose, and energetic Sydney sports journalist Rod Humphries has done just that.

Lionel Rose: Australian, The Life Story of a Champion is Rose’s own story, ghost-written by Humphries.

It’s really in two parts. The first part describes the fighter’s tough life as a child in a big Aboriginal family in Victorian bushland The second part concerns Rose the fighter, with particular emphasis on his defeat of “Fighting” Harada in Japan and his riot-inciting bout against Chucho Castillo in Los Angeles.

Easy to read, the book contains perhaps too many fight pictures—l’d like to have seen more of Rose the man. And a disappointment, to the romantics at least, will also be omis sion of a picture of Rose’s very at tractive white Australian fiancee.

Miss Jenny Oakes who is, inciden tally, also the daughter of his former fight trainer.

However, for the story of an Aboriginal who made it right to the top Lionel Rose ; Australian makes

good reading.-

K. Mcg.

(Lionel Rose: Australian. Angus

and Robertson Ltd., Sydney. $3.75.)