93-849: Club Representative Overall Graham Vivian "Polly" Farmer MBE (10 March 1935 – 14 August 2019) was an Australian rules footballer who played for the Geelong Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL) and the East Perth Football Club and West Perth Football Club in the Western Australian National Football League (WANFL). Born in Western Australia and of indigenous heritage through his Noongar mother, Farmer
186-543: A GBE (in recognition of his role as chairman of the Scottish War Savings Committee) and the award of medal of the order to Lizzie Robinson, a munitions worker. The order had been established primarily as a civilian award; in August 1918, however, not long after its foundation, a number of awards were made to serving naval and military personnel. Four months later, a 'Military Division' was added to
279-404: A broad riband or sash, passing from the right shoulder to the left hip. Knights Commander and male Commanders wear the badge from a ribbon around the neck; male Officers and Members wear the badge from a ribbon on the left chest; female recipients other than Dames Grand Cross (unless in military uniform) normally wear it from a bow on the left shoulder. An oval eight-pointed star is worn, pinned to
372-553: A burning building containing explosives. In December 1922 the statutes of the order were amended; there having been a large number of awards for war work prior to this date, these amended statutes placed the order on more of a peacetime footing. For the first time numbers of appointments were limited, with the stipulation that senior awards in the Civil Division were to outnumber those in the Military Division by
465-453: A circlet bearing the motto of the Order; the reverse bears George V's Royal and Imperial Cypher. (Prior to 1937 Britannia was shown within the circlet.) The size of the badges varies according to rank: the higher classes have slightly larger badges. The badges of Knights and Dames Grand Cross, Knights and Dames Commander, and Commanders are enamelled, with pale blue crosses, crimson circlets and
558-466: A citizen of a Commonwealth realm can convert their appointment from honorary to substantive, and they then enjoy all privileges of membership of the order, including use of the title of Sir and Dame for the senior two ranks of the Order. (An example of the latter is Irish broadcaster Terry Wogan , who was appointed an honorary Knight Commander of the Order in 2005, and on successful application for British citizenship, held alongside his Irish citizenship,
651-442: A disappointment, with a sixth-placed finish in 1974 their best result. One issue was that he assumed his players would adhere to all training instructions and be disciplined in their preparation, just as he was in his playing days. He also found it difficult to relate to players who were less naturally gifted. Farmer and the club's committee had an increasingly strained relationship and Farmer quit in 1975. A six-game losing streak in
744-443: A gold central medallion. Officers' badges are plain silver-gilt, while those of Members are plain silver. From 1917 until 1937, the badge of the order was suspended on a purple ribbon, with a red central stripe being added for the military division in 1918. Since 1937, the ribbon has been rose-pink with pearl-grey edges (with the addition of a pearl-grey central stripe for the military division). Knights and Dames Grand Cross wear it on
837-475: A normal life. I owe her and all her dedicated helpers everything – for giving me the chance to make something of myself. I was one of the lucky ones." A bout of poliomyelitis left Farmer with his left leg shorter than his right leg. According to Farmer, he was nicknamed "Polly the Parrot" as a six-year-old because people thought he chattered away like a parrot. At high school, Farmer was spotted by talent scouts for
930-487: A place in WA sporting folklore and it is fitting that a showpiece of the city's transport network should bear his name… The northern traffic bypass system links West Perth and East Perth which are, coincidentally, the two districts which Graham Farmer represented with distinction on the football arena". He was inducted into the inaugural Australian Football Hall of Fame in 1996 as one of the twelve official "Legends" and then into
1023-518: A premiership with Geelong and coming equal-second in the Brownlow Medal behind Bob Skilton . Farmer played 101 games for Geelong from 1962 to 1968, won the team's fairest and best award in 1963 and 1964 and captained the team from 1965 until 1967 . On 6 July 1963 he was a member of the Geelong team that were comprehensively and unexpectedly beaten by Fitzroy, 9.13 (67) to 3.13 (31) in
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#17327931786541116-492: A proportion of six to one. Furthermore appointments in the civil division were to be divided equally between UK and overseas awards. With regard to the Medal of the Order (but not the order itself), a distinction was made in 1922 between awards 'for gallantry' and awards 'for meritorious service' (each being appropriately inscribed, and the former having laurel leaves decorating the clasp, the latter oak leaves). In 1933 holders of
1209-625: A record until broken by Kevin Murray in Round 2 of the 1974 VFL season (Murray retired at the end of that season with 377 games in the VFL and WANFL). Farmer also played 31 games for Western Australia and five games for Victoria in interstate football, and four International Rules matches on the 1968 Australian Football World Tour (which are counted as senior by the VFL/AFL); if these are included, he played
1302-621: A testimonial to retired Royal teammate "Square" Kilmurray , Farmer accepted the role of captain/coach with the West Perth Football Club , rivals to his former club, East Perth. He led West Perth to premierships in 1969 and 1971, both times defeating East Perth in the grand final. In 1969, Farmer received his fourth Simpson Medal during the AFC Championships in Adelaide , and also played his 300th career game during
1395-529: A total of 396 career senior games, which remained a record until broken by Murray in either of Round 12 of 1974 (using the VFL/AFL's totals), Round 13 of 1973 (excluding Farmer's International Rules matches) or Round 17 of 1973 (including Farmer's International Rules matches). Not involved in top-level football in 1972, Farmer returned to the VFL as coach of the Geelong Football Club in time for
1488-3789: A whole into the West Australian Football Hall of Fame . Although the carnival took place in Brisbane, no Queensland team competed in the tournament. The four teams were Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania. Players: John Abley ( Port Adelaide ); Barrie Barbary ( North Adelaide ); Fred Bills ( West Torrens ); Jeff Bray ( West Adelaide ); John Cahill ( Port Adelaide ); Ken Eustice ( West Adelaide ); Paul Garnett ( West Adelaide ); Ian Hannaford ( Port Adelaide ); John Halbert ( Sturt ); Neville Hayes ( Port Adelaide ); Lindsay Head ( West Torrens ); Bill Herron ( Glenelg ); Frank Hogan ( West Adelaide ); Dick Jackson ( South Adelaide ); Geoff Kingston ( West Torrens ); Neil Kerley ( West Adelaide ), captain; Don Lindner ( North Adelaide ); Theo "Hank" Lindner ( North Adelaide ); Trevor Obst ( Port Adelaide ); Des Panizza ( South Adelaide ); Jeff Potter ( Port Adelaide ); Don Roach ( West Adelaide ); Bob Shearman ( West Torrens ); and Bill Wedding ( Norwood ). Coach: Fos Williams . Players: Trevor Anthony ( East Devonport ); John Archer ( Launceston ); Darrel Baldock ( Latrobe ), captain; Ted Banks ( Clarence ); Roger Browning ( New Norfolk ); Arthur Cole ( Hobart ); Neil Conlan ( Devonport ); John Fitzallen ( Longford ); Dale Flint ( Sandy Bay ); Don Gale ( Burnie ); Rex Geard ( Sandy Bay ); Ivan Hayes ( Longford ); Len Lawson ( Latrobe ); "Casey" Lawrence ( Longford ); Trevor Leo ( Hobart ); Rex Lethborg ( Scottsdale ); Ron Marney ( Glenorchy ); Peter Marquis ( North Hobart ); Stan Morcom ( City-South ); Colin Moore ( North Hobart ); John Noble ( North Hobart ); Garth Smith ( Ulverstone ); Murray Steele ( Sandy Bay ); Kevin Symons ( Burnie ); and Bob Withers ( North Launceston ), vice-captain. Coach: Jack Metherell . Players: Owen Abrahams ( Fitzroy ); Frank Adams ( Melbourne ); Allen Aylett ( North Melbourne ); Ron Barassi ( Melbourne ); Terry Callan ( Geelong ); Brian Dixon ( Melbourne ); Brian Gray ( Collingwood ); John Heriot ( South Melbourne ); John James ( Carlton ); Graeme MacKenzie ( Fitzroy ); Hugh Mitchell ( Essendon ); Ian Mort ( Hawthorn ); Kevin Murray ( Fitzroy ); John Nicholls ( Carlton ); Lance Oswald ( St Kilda ); John Peck ( Hawthorn ); Neil Roberts ( St Kilda ); John Schultz ( Footscray ); Fred Swift ( Richmond ); Jim Taylor ( South Melbourne ); Noel Teasdale ( North Melbourne ); Ken Turner ( Collingwood ); and Ted Whitten ( Footscray ). Coach: Len Smith ( Fitzroy ). Players: Malcolm Atwell ( East Perth ); Ken Bagley ( Swan Districts ); Dinny Barron ( Subiaco ); Neville Beard ( Perth ); Haydn Bunton Jr. ( Swan Districts ), captain; Derek Chadwick ( East Perth ); Jack Clarke ( East Fremantle ); John Colgan ( South Fremantle ); Lorne Cook ( Claremont ); John Dethridge ( Claremont ); Joe Fanchi ( West Perth ); Graham Farmer ( East Perth ); Ray Gabelich ( West Perth ); John Gerovich ( South Fremantle ); Bob Graham ( East Perth ); Ken Holt ( East Fremantle ); Denis Marshall ( Claremont ); Barry Metcalfe ( Claremont ); Les Mumme ( Claremont ); Con Regan ( East Fremantle ); Norm Rogers ( East Fremantle ); Keith Slater ( Swan Districts ); Ray Sorrell ( East Fremantle ); John Todd ( South Fremantle ), vice captain; John Turnbull ( Swan Districts ); and Don Williams ( West Perth ). Coach: Jack Sheedy , ( East Perth ). In 1961
1581-516: Is an image of Britannia surrounded by the motto, with the words "For Meritorious Service" at the bottom; on the reverse is George V's Imperial and Royal Cypher, with the words "Instituted by King George V" at the bottom. The name of the recipient is engraved on the rim. This medal is nicknamed "the Gong", and comes in both full-sized and miniature versions – the latter for formal white-tie and semi-formal black-tie occasions. A lapel pin for everyday wear
1674-485: Is considered one of the greatest footballers in the game's history; when the Australian Football Hall of Fame was established in 1996, Farmer was among the 12 inaugural players given "legend" status. He is primarily recognised for the way he revolutionised ruckwork and handballing . After retiring as a player, Farmer returned to Geelong to become the VFL's first coach of indigenous background, and he
1767-973: Is not a member of the College of Arms , as are many other heraldic officers; and the Lady Usher of the Purple Rod does not – unlike the Order of the Garter equivalent, the Lady Usher of the Black Rod – perform any duties related to the House of Lords . Since the Second World War, several Commonwealth realms have established their own national system of honours and awards and have created their own unique orders, decorations and medals. A number, though, continue to make recommendations for appointments to
1860-404: The 1963 Miracle Match . Farmer practised handballing through car windows at the car yard where he worked and one of his football legacies is changing handballing from a last-resort option to a "dangerous offensive weapon". According to Geelong player Sam Newman , "without speaking one word he [Farmer] taught me everything I know. I watched how a man overcomes not the physical, not the mental, but
1953-465: The 1973 VFL season . Shortly after taking up the position, Farmer travelled to Canberra in an attempt to personally persuade Manuka Football Club 's star rover Edney Blackaby to join Geelong. Blackaby had signed a Form Four with the Cats, but not even Farmer's star power and a lucrative contract were enough to convince Blackaby to leave Canberra. Farmer's tenure as Geelong coach was generally regarded as
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#17327931786542046-559: The Order of Canada . On the other hand, the Australian Honours System unilaterally created in 1975 did not achieve bi-partisan support until 1992, which was when Australian federal and state governments agreed to cease Australian recommendations for British honours; the last Australian recommended Order of the British Empire appointments were in the 1989 Queen's Birthday Honours . New Zealand continued to use
2139-643: The West Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2004. He has been nominated as the first ruckman in every Team of the Century for each of the two leagues and three clubs for which he participated, plus the Indigenous Team of the Century , in which he was the captain. In 2008, Farmer was named at number 5 in The Age ' s top football players of all time. Farmer is depicted contesting a boundary throw-in with Carlton ruckman John Nicholls (the other ruckman in
2232-690: The 1960s, former Geelong player Neil Trezise approached Farmer about representing the Australian Labor Party in the seat of Corio . Farmer declined. The couple sold their house in 1992 and ran a two-star Southway Auto Lodge motel in South Perth until 1998. Farmer said the business failed due to the downturn in the Asian economy and a 40% drop in tourist numbers. It left him with no money or assets. He said, "We have nothing and we are back to square one. But we didn't borrow money to keep
2325-473: The 21st century quotas were introduced to ensure consistent representation among recipients across nine categories of eligibility: with the largest proportion of awards being reserved for community, voluntary and local service. Non-military awards of the British Empire Medal resumed in 2012, starting with 293 BEMs awarded for Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee . In 2017 the centenary of
2418-801: The AFL Team of the Century) in Jamie Cooper's painting The Game That Made Australia , commissioned by the AFL in 2008 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the sport. Farmer is also depicted in the rare 1963 Scanlens football card series, which, due to production problems during the printing process, is now considered one of the rarest and most valuable trading cards in Australia. Upon Farmer's death, tributes came flowing in from his contemporaries. Carlton legend John Nicholls , whose ruck rivalry with Farmer
2511-792: The British Empire . Rather than using this chapel, the Order now holds its great services upstairs in the nave of the cathedral. In addition to the Chapel of the Order of the British Empire, St Paul's Cathedral also houses the Chapel of the Order of St Michael and St George . Religious services for the whole Order are held every four years; new Knights and Dames Grand Cross are installed at these services. Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commander prefix Sir , and Dames Grand Cross and Dames Commander prefix Dame , to their forenames. Wives of Knights may prefix Lady to their surnames, but no equivalent privilege exists for husbands of Knights or spouses of Dames. Such forms are not used by peers and princes, except when
2604-494: The British Empire for Gallantry. Any individual made a member of the order for gallantry after 14 January 1958 wears an emblem of two crossed silver oak leaves on the same ribbon as the badge, with a miniature version on the ribbon bar when worn alone. When the ribbon only is worn the emblem is worn in miniature. It could not be awarded posthumously , and was replaced in 1974 with the Queen's Gallantry Medal (QGM). If recipients of
2697-709: The East Perth Football Club and joined the team. Farmer began his top-level career in the West Australian Football League (WAFL), known then as the West Australian National Football League (WANFL), with the East Perth Football Club in 1953. He played 176 games from 1953 to 1961 with East Perth. During this time he won the club's fairest and best award seven times and was a member of their 1956, 1958 and 1959 premiership teams. In 1956, he
2790-824: The Military Division of the order from the UK and across the Empire. Recommendations for all appointments to the Order of the British Empire were originally made on the nomination of the King's United Kingdom ministers (recommendations for overseas awards were made by the Foreign Office , the Colonial Office , the India Office and the Dominions Office ); but in the early 1940s the system was changed to enable
2883-436: The Order of the British Empire for Gallantry received promotion within the order, whether for gallantry or otherwise, they continued to wear also the insignia of the lower grade with the oak leaves; however, they used only the post-nominal letters of the higher grade. When the order was founded in 1917, badges, ribands and stars were appointed for wear by recipients. In 1929 mantles, hats and collars were added for recipients of
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2976-520: The Order of the British Empire. In 2024 appointments to the order were made by the governments of: Most members of the order are citizens of the United Kingdom or Commonwealth realms that use the UK system of honours and awards. In addition, honorary awards may be made to citizens of nations where the monarch is not head of state ; these permit use of post-nominal letters, but not the title of Sir or Dame . Honorary appointees who later become
3069-404: The Order, however, are not assigned any special precedence. As a general rule, only wives and children of male recipients are afforded privileges. Knights and Dames Grand Cross are also entitled to be granted heraldic supporters . They may, furthermore, encircle their arms with a depiction of the circlet (a circle bearing the motto) and the collar; the former is shown either outside or on top of
3162-533: The Polly Farmer Foundation, an organization dedicated to supporting indigenous children in their sporting and academic endeavours. Farmer explained, "I want the foundation to be of practical assistance to young Aboriginal people with potential to do something with their lives … Not just sport, but in the professions and business. We want to develop links with the tertiary institutions and make sure Aboriginal people become leaders." Hawke enlisted
3255-463: The United Kingdom; those who would formerly have met the criteria for the medal were instead made eligible for the MBE. In 2004, a report entitled A Matter of Honour: Reforming Our Honours System by a Commons select committee recommended phasing out the Order of the British Empire, as its title was "now considered to be unacceptable, being thought to embody values that are no longer shared by many of
3348-639: The WAFL awarded retrospective medals for those who missed out on countbacks. In 1959, he was awarded the Simpson Medal for being best on ground in the grand final. He was awarded another Simpson Medal in 1961 for his game against Victoria at the Brisbane Carnival . Farmer had clear ambitions to play football in Victoria, and had attracted interest from Victorian clubs; at the end of 1955 he
3441-617: The Western Australians narrowly lost their game to South Australia. Tasmania, who traditionally struggle, lost all games but got within seven points of the South Australians. With Western Australia, South Australia and Victoria all finishing on 2 wins and a loss, Western Australia won the championship due to a superior percentage. In 2014, the Western Australian team from this carnival was inducted as
3534-450: The addition of a vertical pearl grey stripe in the centre for awards in the military division). From time to time the order was expanded: there was an increase in the maximum permitted number of recipients in 1933, and a further increase in 1937. During the Second World War, as had been the case during and after World War I, the number of military awards was greatly increased; between 1939 and 1946 there were more than 33,000 appointments to
3627-491: The art of handballing. He was very good at it. He was a brilliant footballer, I learnt a lot from him, he made me a better player and I respected him. He was a good friend of mine, a very good friend. Fellow Western Australian indigenous football legend Barry Cable , whose career overlapped with Farmer, reflected on his unique style of ruck play: I don’t think there’s any doubt he was the greatest ruckman in Aussie rules – he led
3720-605: The business going. All my life I have helped myself and there is no reason why I can't still do that." Farmer and Marlene were given temporary accommodation at the caretaker's flat in the Main Roads building. Two fundraising events were organised in Perth and Melbourne by John Watts , Bob Davis and Sam Newman, raising $ 120,000. A trust fund was established with the money and a small villa was bought in Innaloo . In 1999, Farmer
3813-474: The cathedral. That year, Commonwealth awards made up 40% of all OBEs and MBEs awarded (and 35% of all living recipients of the higher awards). Gradually that proportion reduced as independent states within the Commonwealth established their own systems of honours . The last Canadian recommendation for the Order of the British Empire was an MBE for gallantry gazetted in 1966, a year before the creation of
Polly Farmer - Misplaced Pages Continue
3906-418: The circlet. In 1929, to bring the order into line with the other orders of chivalry, members of the first class of the order (GBE) were provided with mantles, hats and collars. Only Knights/Dames Grand Cross wear these elaborate vestments; the hat is now rarely, if ever, worn. Use of the mantle is limited to important occasions (such as quadrennial services and coronations ). The mantle is always worn with
3999-444: The collar. Although the mantle was introduced in 1929, very few mantles would have been produced prior to the 1937 design changes, as there were few occasions for wearing them in the intervening years. On certain days designated by the sovereign, known as " collar days ", members attending formal events may wear the order's collar over their military uniform, formal day dress, evening wear or robes of office. Collars are returned upon
4092-479: The country's population". The committee further suggested changing the name of the award to the Order of British Excellence, and changing the rank of Commander to Companion (as the former was said to have a "militaristic ring"), as well as advocating for the abolition of knighthoods and damehoods; the government, however, was not of the opinion that a case for change had been made, and the aforementioned suggestions and recommendations were not, therefore, pursued. In
4185-403: The death of their owners, but other insignia may be retained. The six office-holders of the order wear pearl-grey mantles lined with rose-pink, having on the right side a purple shield charged with the roundel from the badge. Each of these office-holders wears a unique badge of office, suspended from a gold chain worn around the neck. The British Empire Medal is made of silver. On the obverse
4278-626: The distinction between ranks in military operational gallantry awards will cease'. The reforms affected the order at various levels: for example the automatic award each year of a GBE to the Lord Mayor of London ceased; the OBE replaced the Imperial Service Order as an award for civil servants and the number of MBEs awarded each year was significantly increased. As part of these reforms the British Empire Medal stopped being awarded by
4371-410: The field against him, deferred to Polly. Our game has always started in the centre square, with a contest between two big men, and Polly was the greatest of all the big men who seek to set the standard of competitiveness for their teams, lead from the front at every contest and compel their teammates to match their skills and commitment in the pursuit of victory. Beyond football, as a proud Noongar man, he
4464-563: The field, thanks largely to his dominance that built a record that few players could ever hope to match. Member of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry , rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service . It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions,
4557-529: The former was to be responsible for recording all proceedings connected with the order, issuing warrants under the seal of the order and making arrangements for investitures, while the latter (at that time the Permanent Secretary to the Treasury ) was responsible for collecting and tabulating the names of those who were to receive an award. The office of Dean was added in 1957. The King of Arms
4650-458: The going gets tough a club should stick together and fight to beat it. But some people chip and chip at the ground underneath you in trying to find someone to blame. I do my best in football and I have no time to protect my back, so it's left wide open. Maybe that's a lot of my trouble." In 1956, Farmer met Marlene Gray, a Tasmanian woman holidaying in Perth. They married in 1957 and had three children: two sons, Brett and Dean, and daughter Kim. In
4743-401: The governments of overseas dominions to make their own nominations; Canada and South Africa began doing so in 1942, followed by Australia, New Zealand and other Commonwealth realms. In May 1957, forty years after the foundation of the order, it was announced that St Paul's Cathedral was to serve as the church of the order, and in 1960 a chapel was dedicated for its use within the crypt of
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#17327931786544836-512: The help of recently retired federal politicians Ron Edwards and Fred Chaney to establish the foundation, and was joined by Sir Ronald Wilson , a former High Court judge; and Greg Durham, chief executive of the Geelong Football Club. On 6 October 1997, Western Australian Transport Minister Eric Charlton announced that the $ 400 m Northern City Bypass would be named the Graham Farmer Freeway . Charlton said, "He already has
4929-450: The highest class of the order (GBE). The designs of all these items underwent major changes in 1937. The badge is worn by all members of the order; the size, colour and design depends on the class of award. The badge for all classes is in the form of a cross patonce (having the arms growing broader and floriated toward the end) with a medallion in the centre, the obverse of which bears a crowned image of George V and Queen Mary within
5022-606: The honours system, calling it "a preposterous charade". The order has attracted some criticism for its naming having connection with the idea of the now-extinct British Empire . Benjamin Zephaniah , a British poet of Jamaican and Barbadian descent, publicly rejected appointment as an Officer in 2003 because, he asserted, it reminded him of "thousands of years of brutality". He also said that "it reminds me of how my foremothers were raped and my forefathers brutalised". 1961 Brisbane Carnival The 1961 Brisbane Carnival
5115-446: The insignia to Buckingham Palace and by ceasing to make reference to their honour, but they still hold the honour unless and until annulled by the monarch. In 2003, The Sunday Times published a list of the people who had rejected the Order of the British Empire, including David Bowie , John Cleese , Nigella Lawson , Elgar Howarth , L. S. Lowry , George Melly , and J. G. Ballard . In addition, Ballard voiced his opposition to
5208-640: The junior post-nominal letters. The British sovereign is the sovereign of the order and appoints all other officers of the order (by convention, on the advice of the governments of the United Kingdom and some Commonwealth realms ). The second-most senior officer is the Grand Master (a 'Prince of the Blood Royal, or other exalted personage' appointed by the sovereign, who, by virtue of their appointment, becomes 'the First or Principal Knight Grand Cross of
5301-528: The latter. Knights and Dames Commander and Commanders may display the circlet, but not the collar, surrounding their arms. The badge is depicted suspended from the collar or circlet. See List of current honorary knights and dames of the Order of the British Empire Only the monarch can annul an honour. The Honours Forfeiture Committee considers cases and makes recommendations for forfeiture. An individual can renounce their honour by returning
5394-463: The left breast, by Knights and Dames Grand Cross; Knights and Dames Commander wear a smaller star composed of 'four equal points and four lesser'. The star is not worn by the more junior classes. Prior to 1937 each star had in the centre a gold medallion with a figure of Britannia, surrounded by a crimson circlet inscribed with the motto of the order ('For God and the Empire'); since 1937 the effigies of King George V and Queen Mary have been shown within
5487-588: The medal 'for gallantry', which had come to be known as the Empire Gallantry Medal , were given permission to use the postnominal letters EGM (and at the same time to add a laurel branch emblem to the ribbon of the medal); however, in 1940, awards of the EGM ceased and all holders of the medal were instructed to exchange it for a new and more prestigious gallantry award: the George Cross . In 1941,
5580-559: The medal of the order 'for meritorious service' was renamed the British Empire Medal , and the following year its recipients were granted the right to use the postnominal letters BEM. During the war, the BEM came to be used to recognise acts of bravery which did not merit the award of a George Cross or George Medal , a use which continued until the introduction of the Queen's Gallantry Medal in 1974. The designs of insignia of
5673-449: The medal. The colour of the riband was also changed: twenty years earlier, prior to the order's establishment, Queen Mary had made it known that pink would be her preferred colour for the riband of the proposed new order, but, in the event, purple was chosen. Following her appointment as Grand Master of the order in 1936 a change was duly made and since 9 March 1937 the riband of the order has been 'rose pink edged with pearl grey’ (with
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#17327931786545766-446: The most senior two of which make the recipient either a knight if male or a dame if female. There is also the related British Empire Medal , whose recipients are affiliated with, but not members of, the order. The order was established on 4 June 1917 by King George V , who created the order to recognise 'such persons, male or female, as may have rendered or shall hereafter render important services to Our Empire'. Equal recognition
5859-473: The names of the former are written out in their fullest forms. Male clergy of the Church of England or the Church of Scotland do not use the title Sir (unless they were knighted before being ordained) as they do not receive the accolade (they are not dubbed "knight" with a sword), although they do append the post-nominal letters ; dames do not receive the accolade, and therefore female clergy are free to use
5952-454: The numbers restricted to the order as full members do. Although the Order of the British Empire has by far the highest number of members of the British orders of chivalry, with more than 100,000 living members worldwide, there are fewer appointments to knighthoods than in other orders. From time to time, individuals may be promoted to a higher grade within the Order, thereby ceasing usage of
6045-620: The order alongside its own honours until the establishment of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 1996. Other Commonwealth realms have continued to use the Order of the British Empire alongside their own honours. In 1993 the Prime Minister, John Major , instituted a reform of the honours system with the aim 'that exceptional service or achievement will be more widely recognised; that greater importance will be given to voluntary service; that automatic honours will end; that
6138-408: The order and medal were altered in 1937, prior to the coronation of King George VI , 'in commemoration of the reign of King George V and Queen Mary, during which the Order was founded'. The figure of Britannia at the centre of the badge of the order was replaced with an image of the crowned heads of the late King and Queen Mary, and the words 'Instituted by King George V' were added to the reverse of
6231-409: The order was celebrated with a service at St Paul's Cathedral. The order is limited to 300 Knights and Dames Grand Cross, 845 Knights and Dames Commander, and 8,960 Commanders. There are no limits applied to the total number of members of the fourth and fifth classes, but no more than 858 officers and 1,464 members may be appointed per year. Foreign appointees, as honorary members, do not contribute to
6324-426: The order, to which serving personnel would in future be appointed. The classes were the same as for the Civil Division (as it was now termed), but military awards were distinguished by the addition of a central vertical red stripe to the purple riband of the civil awards. In 1920 appointment as an MBE 'for an act of gallantry' was granted for the first time, to Sydney Frank Blanck Esq, who had rescued an injured man from
6417-407: The pair of us used to take two or three steps - never a long run. At centre bounces he jumped early and umpires like Jeff Crouch used to let him get away with it. I gave away height to ‘Polly’ and I realized that if I jumped at the same time as him I was gone, so I jumped into him early, body on body, and I was successful at it because I had a good spring. [...] He was one of the first to really perfect
6510-426: The same Order'). The position of Grand Master has been held by the following people: In addition to the sovereign and the grand master , the order has six further officers: At its foundation the order was served by three officers: the King of Arms, the Registrar & Secretary and the Gentleman Usher of the Purple Rod. In 1922 the Prelate was added, and the office of Registrar was separated from that of Secretary:
6603-399: The season. In 1971, he played his 346th career game in Round 11 (245th in the WANFL) to break David "Dolly" Christy's long-standing elite Australian rules football games record, and also became the first player in elite Australian rules football to play 350 career games. Farmer retired after the Grand Final aged 36, after 79 games with West Perth and a career total of 356 games, which remained
6696-525: The second half of the season spelled the end of Farmer's time as coach. Geelong ensured that he bowed out on a positive note with a surprise 26-point win over Fitzroy at VFL Park. Farmer returned to the WANFL, coaching East Perth from 1976 to 1977 with some success and he coached the first Western Australian state of origin team in 1977. Farmer was sacked as coach of East Perth in 1977 due to conflict and replaced by Barry Cable in 1978. Farmer said, "When
6789-412: The spiritual – that's the most important – he was an absolute star, about one decade, one century ahead of his time". One tactic opposition players tried in order to distract Farmer was racial abuse, but to no avail, as he related to historian Sean Gorman: I never took any notice of it. I think anything that was said out on the field was to put people off, but it didn’t break my concentration and when I
6882-461: The standard of the George Medal (even though, as appointments to an order of chivalry, they were listed before it on the Order of Wear . In contrast to awards for meritorious service, which usually appear without a citation, there were often citations for gallantry awards, some detailed and graphic. From 14 January 1958, these awards were designated Commander, Officer or Member of the Order of
6975-506: The title Dame . Knights and Dames Grand Cross use the post-nominal GBE; Knights Commander, KBE; Dames Commander, DBE; Commanders, CBE; Officers, OBE; and Members, MBE. The post-nominal for the British Empire Medal is BEM. Members of all classes of the order are assigned positions in the order of precedence . Wives of male members of all classes also feature on the order of precedence, as do sons, daughters and daughters-in-law of Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commander; relatives of Ladies of
7068-589: The titles Sir for men and Dame for women before their forenames, except with honorary awards. King George V founded the order to fill gaps in the British honours system : In particular, George V wished to create an order to honour the many thousands of individuals from across the Empire who had served in a variety of non-combat roles during the First World War . From its foundation the order consisted of five classes (GBE, KBE/DBE, CBE, OBE and MBE) and
7161-471: The way in that area, he had a very unique game. People say he changed the style of ruckman but I feel he was the only one who could do what he could do. He had a special game and ruck play all of his own, and no one has ever been able to follow it. There was no one who did it before him and no one’s ever done it after him. On behalf of the AFL, chief executive Gillon McLachlan issued this statement: When discussing ruckmen, every player who saw him play or took
7254-593: Was Western Australia's Chief Protector of Aborigines . In December 1936, Farmer was voluntarily placed in the care of Sister Kate's orphanage in Queens Park, Western Australia , a home for "half-caste" children. Farmer never found out why he had been put there, though it is presumed that Farmer's unmarried mother did not have the means to provide for him. Nonetheless, Farmer was grateful to Sister Kate's for his upbringing: "If it had not been for Sister Kate's, I would have had an ice block's hope in hell of ever leading
7347-472: Was a leader for the Aboriginal community and his standing in the game and in society enabled his people to believe that they too could reach the peaks and achieve their best potential. He laid the path for so many great footballers from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to come into the elite levels of the game and showcase their skills. At every point of his career, his teams found success on
7440-621: Was also named coach of Western Australia 's first State of Origin team. The Graham Farmer Freeway in his hometown of Perth is named in his honour. Farmer was born at the Hillcrest Maternity Home in North Fremantle to an unknown man and 25-year-old Noongar woman from Katanning named Eva. At the time of Farmer's birth, Australia was slowly recovering from the Great Depression , and A. O. Neville
7533-609: Was awarded a Simpson Medal for his performance against South Australia at the Perth Carnival and later was also awarded the Tassie Medal for being judged best at the carnival overall. He was awarded the WANFL's highest individual honour, the Sandover Medal , in 1956 and 1960. He also tied for the medal in 1957 with East Fremantle's Jack Clarke but lost on a countback; he was awarded that medal in 1997 when
7626-447: Was called names I’d look at myself and say to myself well I can’t see it. It never worried me. I still was called ‘You boong, you nigger.’ That was understandable because you do anything to try and put people off their game. I didn’t go out of my way to chase people and thump them because they called me a boong. In 1968, Farmer desired to return home to Western Australia. Although he had trained briefly with East Perth during 1967 as part of
7719-536: Was compulsory viewing for football fans in the 1960s, reflected fondly on their on-field contests and enduring friendship: As a person, ‘Polly’ was a good man. He has been a friend of mine for the best part of 60 years. As a player he was talked about as ahead of his time . . . and he was a freak. ‘Polly’ and I probably played against each other 15 or 20 times. In all those times I can honestly say I don’t think he ever beat me - but then again, I don’t think I beat him either. We probably nullified each other. At ruck contests
7812-477: Was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease , but it was not until 2012 that his wife Marlene, who was battling breast cancer, decided to reveal it publicly. He died at the Fiona Stanley Hospital on 14 August 2019, aged 84. He was given a state funeral , held at Perth Stadium , on 26 August. He was survived by his three children, his wife Marlene having died in 2015. After his death, Farmer's brain
7905-563: Was donated to the Australian Sports Brain Bank . A study of his brain by researchers at the bank identified chronic traumatic encephalopathy . Farmer is the first former VFL/AFL player to be diagnosed with the condition. In 1971, Farmer became the first Australian footballer to receive a Queen's honour when he was named a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the New Year honours list . Farmer's name
7998-402: Was first announced at the end of December 2006, and is available to recipients of all levels of the order, as well as to holders of the British Empire Medal . The pin design is not unique to any level. The pin features the badge of the order, enclosed in a circle of ribbon of its colours of pink and grey. Lapel pins must be purchased separately by a member of the order. The creation of such a pin
8091-624: Was included in the 150 bronze tablets set into the footpath along St Georges Terrace that commemorate notable figures in Western Australia's history, as part of the WAY 1979 celebrations. He was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1985. In 1994, Steve Hawke, author and son of former prime minister Bob Hawke , met with Farmer to discuss writing his biography. In return, Farmer asked for Hawke's help to create
8184-469: Was made a substantive member and subsequently styled as Sir Terry Wogan). Although initially intended to recognise meritorious service, the order began to also be awarded for gallantry. There were an increased number of cases in the Second World War for service personnel and civilians including the merchant navy, police, emergency services and civil defence, mostly MBEs but with a small number of OBEs and CBEs. Such awards were for gallantry that did not reach
8277-513: Was open to both women and men; provision was also made for conferring honorary awards on foreign recipients. At the same time, alongside the order, the Medal of the Order of the British Empire was instituted, to serve as a lower award granting recipients affiliation but not membership. The first investiture took place at Ibrox Stadium , as part of a royal visit to the Glasgow shipyards, with the appointment of Alexander Ure, 1st Baron Strathclyde as
8370-585: Was recommended in Sir Hayden Phillips ' review of the honours system in 2004. The Chapel of the Order of the British Empire is in St Paul's Cathedral . It occupies the far eastern end of the cathedral crypt and was dedicated in 1960. The only heraldic banners normally on display in the chapel are those of the Sovereign of the Order of the British Empire and of the Grand Master of the Order of
8463-508: Was signed by the Richmond Football Club for £200 (as was not uncommon at the time), but the move was blocked by East Perth, and he remained in Perth for the next six years. He was later recruited by Bob Davis to the Geelong Football Club in 1962 . In the opening moments of his debut for Geelong in 1962, Farmer severely injured a knee, causing ligament damage and missed the rest of the season. He returned in 1963 , winning
8556-618: Was the 15th edition of the Australian National Football Carnival, an Australian football interstate competition. It was the last carnival to be held in Queensland . It was one of the most competitive carnivals to have been played, with the traditional carnival powerhouse Victoria going down to Western Australia in the final game to give Western Australia its first carnival victory since 1921. Despite Victoria comfortably accounting for South Australia,
8649-526: Was to be given for services rendered in the UK and overseas. Today the majority of recipients are UK citizens, though a number of Commonwealth realms outside the UK continue to make appointments to the order. Honorary awards may be made to citizens of other nations of which the order's sovereign is not the head of state. The five classes of appointment to the Order are, from highest grade to lowest grade: The senior two ranks of Knight or Dame Grand Cross and Knight or Dame Commander entitle their members to use
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