State Memorial in Australia for The Great Johnny Famechon

By Gary Luscombe

Photo supplied by family

A State Memorial Service will be held to honour and celebrate the life of Johnny Famechon.

Born Jean-Pierre Famechon in France in 1945, Johnny moved to Australia with his family aged five, and settled in Frankston, Victoria.

Dubbed ‘poetry in motion’ for his silky defensive skills in the boxing ring Johnny fought during the golden era of Australian boxing and his international career spanned 10 years, in which he recorded 56 wins, 6 draws and only 5 losses. His World Title win at London’s Albert Hall in 1969 was one of Australia’s supreme sporting moments.

Johnny was greatly respected for his contribution to boxing and service to his local community in Frankston. In partnership with the local police, he established the Blue Light Boxing Club, which has given many young Victorians a sense of purpose and belonging up to the present day.

Johnny was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1985 and the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 1997. In 2022 he was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia.

Family, friends, colleagues, and members of the public will be able to attend the State Memorial Service to reflect on Mr Famechon’s contribution to Victoria and his remarkable legacy.

Donations

In lieu of flowers and at the request of Mr Famechon’s family, tributes can be made in the form of contributions to Ronald McDonald House and Beyond Blue. To donate, visit www.rmhc.org.au and www.beyondblue.org.au.

Date

Tuesday 11 October 2022.

Time

Doors open at 5pm.

The service will commence at 6pm.

All guests are requested to be seated by 5.45pm.

The service is expected to run for approximately 1.5 hours.

Venue

Festival Hall, 300 Dudley St, West Melbourne.

Live stream

The State Memorial Service will be live streamed via this site.

The link to view the live stream will be made available on this page closer to the event.

How to get there

By car

Festival Hall does not have its own car park.

Limited street parking is available in the West Melbourne/North Melbourne area.

More information about car parking is available on the Festival Hall website.

By public transport

Tram: Routes 30, 35 (free City Circle), and 86 stop at the corner of Latrobe and Spencer Streets. Festival Hall is a 5-minute walk along Spencer Street away from the city and left into Dudley Street.

Train: Southern Cross Station (Suggested) 12–15-minute walk (1.1 km). Walk northbound of the city along Spencer Street and turn left into Dudley Street. North Melbourne Station – 8–10-minute walk (900m). Walk southbound down either Adderley St or Railway Place to reach Dudley St.

Bus: Route 220 runs along Dudley Street, use stop number 5.

Taxi: Drop off and pick up can be made in Rosslyn Street or Spencer Street. Taxi ranks are located at Southern Cross Station.

Please check the PTV website or app for up-to-date information about public transport scheduling on the day.

Parking and accessibility

If you require accessibility assistance at the venue, please check the Festival Hall website or contact Administration admin@festivalhall.com.au.