Lindsay Edward Fox, AC (born 19 April 1937 in Sydney, Australia) is a successful businessman and the 10th richest person in Australia or New Zealand with a net worth of around $1 billion.^[1] He is best followed in 1992 by Fox being named "Victorian Father of the Year" and Fox joined the Australian Institute for Family Studies.^[2]

Contents 1 Football career 2 Business interests 3 Awards and Recognition 4 References

Football career

Lindsay Fox played Australian rules football for many of his earlier years, with moderate success and continues his involvement with the sport.

Recruited from the St Kilda Football Club's thirds side (which he captained), Fox was sent to Golden Point Football Club in the Ballarat Football League before he returned to make his Victorian Football League debut in 1960. Fox did not think much of his footballing abilities, but as a ruckman he went on to play 20 games (for 3 goals) between 1959 and 1961. Following his stint in the VFL, he went to the VFA, playing firstly for Moorabbin and then Brighton-Caulfield football clubs.

He later returned in an administrative role, becoming the president of the Saints in 1979.

Business interests

He has been involved with a number of high profile disputes with the Government relating to his property development activities. In the late 1990s he attempted to claim the public beach area in front of his holiday home as a private helipad for his helicopter and to build a high security compound for himself and his family. This development was rejected by the Victorian planning minister.^[3]

However he has also been able to use his government contacts to gain favorable treatment by being granted permission to land his helicopter near his Portsea home on crown land.^[4]

He maintains a good relationship with Melbourne High, and has made numerous large donations to his former school. He also famously has a deal with the school which allows his private helicopter to land on the main oval when required.

He started his Linfox company in 1956 with 1 truck.^[5]

Fox purchased the "Saint Moritz" ice skating rink (where he met his wife, Paula) to re-develop. After the plans had been rejected by the St Kilda Council the building was destroyed by fire.^{[citation needed]}

Fox was also involved in an unsuccessful attempt to resurrect Ansett airlines with Solomon Lew following its collapse in September 2001.^{[citation needed]}

Fox has been in dispute with the local council of his Toorak mansion by attempting to have the heritage listing that applies to all homes in the street removed from his property.^[6] His son's Toorak home was destroyed by fire.^[7]

He also took ownership of Melbourne's Luna Park in late 2005. In 2006, he made an unsuccessful bid for the development of the neighboring 'Triangle Site' on St Kilda's foreshore. The property was subsequently destroyed by fire.^[8][9][10]

He spent a reported $250,000 on his 70th birthday party and requested that the rental of the venue (Sydney Opera House) be treated as a tax deductible donation. The offer was refused by the trustee of the Opera House.^[11]

Awards and Recognition

• Fox was awarded an Officer of the Order of Australia in the Australia Day Honours of 1992, in recognition of service to the transport industry and to the community.^[12]
• In 2001, he was awarded the Centenary Medal.^[13]
• In the Australia Day Honours of 2008, he was advanced to a Companion of the Order of Australia, in recognition of his continued service to the transport and logistics industries, to business through the development and promotion of youth traineeships, and to the community through a range of philanthropic endeavours.^[14]

References