Julius Lockington "Judy" Patching, AO, OBE (4 January 1917 – 13 February 2009)[1] was an Australian Olympic sports administrator, and businessman.
Patching started his involvement in sport as a track and field athlete in 1932 with the Geelong Guild Athletic Club and Athletics Victoria (formerly the Victorian Amateur Athletic Association). In 1933, he played a year of Australian Rules Football for Rosebud in the Mornington Peninsula Nepean Football League.[2] He was a keen hurdler and pentathlete, making the finals in both 110 and 440 yards hurdles in the 1946 Victorian championships.[3]
Patching joined the Royal Australian Navy in 1934 and served for 13 years, including World War II. He knew some of the sailors killed in the loss of HMAS Sydney.[4]
Patching's Australian Olympic achievements include:
Patching was also:
Patching contributed to the Victorian Olympic Council as:
The VOC's "Julius Lockington Patching Sports Official of the Year Award" was inaugurated in 2008.[6]
Patching was honoured with Life Membership of:
Patching was awarded:
Patching's outstanding contribution to sport was also honoured with appointment as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1970 and as an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1985.
Patching was Chef de Mission for Australia during the famous 1968 Olympics Black Power salute. He resisted calls by conservatives in the media to punish Peter Norman, who wore a human rights badge on the dais. He cautioned Norman about the situation, and used the words "They're screaming out for your blood, so consider yourself severely reprimanded. Now, you got any tickets for the hockey today?"[7]
Patching was a long-time resident of Point Lonsdale, Victoria,[4] where his parents had lived and Patching grew up.
One of Patching's last official engagements in Geelong was his attendance at the Geelong Guild Athletic Club's Centenary Dinner in July 2008. Patching spoke at the dinner and along with fellow club Life Member, Mrs Patricia Agg, cut the club's centenary birthday cake.