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Lionel Edmund Rose MBE (21 June 1948 – 8 May 2011) was an Australian professional boxer who competed from 1964 to 1976. He held the undisputed WBA, WBC, and The Ring bantamweight titles from 1968 to 1969, becoming the first Indigenous Australian to win a world title.
Lionel Rose (born June 21, 1948, Labertouche, Victoria, Australia—died May 8, 2011, Warragul, Victoria) was an Australian professional boxer, world bantamweight champion, 1968–69. He was the first Aboriginal person to win a world boxing title.
On 26 February 1968, he won the World Bantamweight title in Tokyo by defeating Masahiko ‘Fighting’ Harada in a 15-round decision. He became the first Indigenous Australian world champion boxer. This win made him a national hero and an icon.
On February 27 1968, Rose became the first Aboriginal and only the second Australian to win an official world boxing title.
Rose boxed to emulate his father and his idol, twice Australian lightweight champion George Bracken. Lionel was the first Aboriginal to win a world championship in any sport and was only the second Australian to win a world title while still in his teens.
Lionel travelled to New Zealand for his tenth professional contest in 1965, (p.65) and to Tokyo in 1968 to participate in the world bantamweight boxing title. (p.1) He did not like the food in Japan, and became homesick.
Lionel Rose was named Australian of the Year in 1968 in recognition of his achievement as only the second Australian to become a world champion boxer. He was the first Indigenous Australian to become Australian of the Year.
