Alan David Hickinbotham AM (9 December 1925 – 25 May 2010) was an Australian businessman and Australian rules football player and coach.

Alan Hickinbotham
Personal information
Full name Alan David Hickinbotham, AM
Date of birth (1925-12-09)9 December 1925
Place of birth Geelong, Victoria
Date of death 25 May 2010(2010-05-25) (aged 84)
Place of death Adelaide, South Australia
Original team(s) South Adelaide
Height 183 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Weight 85 kg (187 lb)
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1949–1951 Geelong 6 (0)
Representative team honours
Years Team Games (Goals)
South Australia 4
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1951.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Biography

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Hickinbotham was born on 9 December 1925 in Geelong, Victoria. During 1944 and 1945 he served in the Royal Australian Air Force as a gunner.[1]

In 1948 he graduated from the University of Adelaide with a Bachelor of Science and Diploma of Education. From 1949 to 1951 he taught science and mathematics at Geelong Grammar.[1]

Hickinbotham founded the Hickinbotham Group of Companies in 1954, which became one of Australia's largest building companies, developing over 50 community estates in Adelaide. He was an influential member of the Housing Industry Association SA and worked to sponsor skilled migrants from Britain to settle in Adelaide. He also had an interest in wineries in South Australia.[2][3]

He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for "services to housing and urban development" in 1998.[2][4] A scholarship at St Columba College in Adelaide is named in honour.[1]

Football

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Before his business career, Hickinbotham played six matches as a key defender for Geelong Football Club.[5] He later captain-coached South Adelaide Football Club and retained ties with the club until his death. In 2005 South Adelaide renamed their home ground Hickinbotham Oval, (formerly Noarlunga Oval), in his honour. He played four representative games for South Australia.[2]

In the early 1970s, Hickinbotham was part of a committee that drove the development of Football Park, a dedicated Australian rules football ground for major matches in Adelaide.

Politics

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He unsuccessfully stood as a Liberal Party candidate for the Division of Hawker in the 1969 Federal election.

Death

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Hickinbotham died in May 2010 after a long illness, aged 84.[2][6]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Alan David Hickinbotham" (PDF). The Alan Hickinbotham Scholarship. St Columba College. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 May 2012. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
  2. ^ a b c d Sexton, Mike (26 May 2010). "Hickinbotham lived full life in business and sport". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 29 May 2010. Retrieved 26 May 2010.
  3. ^ "Hickinbotham recogised (sic) for wine serice (sic)". The Advertiser. News Corporation. 8 March 2007. Retrieved 26 May 2010.
  4. ^ "Hickinbotham, Alan David". It's An Honour: Australia celebrating Australians. Australian Government.
  5. ^ Alan Hickinbotham's playing statistics from AFL Tables Accessed 26 May 2010
  6. ^ Robertson, Doug; Silverman, Hannah (26 May 2010). "SA builder Alan Hickinbotham dies after long illness". The Advertiser. News Corporation. Archived from the original on 26 May 2010. Retrieved 26 May 2010.
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