Public tribute to Arthur Beetson
A tribute to Arthur ‘Artie’ Henry Beetson (1945–2011)
A special tribute to Artie Beetson was held at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on Sunday, 18 December 2011.
A pioneer for Indigenous athletes, Artie Beetson passed away on 1 December 2011.
A bronze statue immortalising Beetson will join the Wally Lewis monument in the Northern Plaza of Suncorp Stadium in 2012.
Artie Beetson’s achievements
Iconic Queenslander and rugby league legend Arthur ‘Artie’ Beetson played and coached for Australia, Queensland and several teams in a career spanning 4 decades.
He was the first Indigenous Australian to captain his country in any sport, and captained Queensland in the inaugural State of Origin game.
Artie is often regarded as Australia’s ‘best ever’ forward, recognised and honoured through awards and accolades including:
- 1987 – Awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in recognition of service to the sport of Rugby League
- 2000 – Awarded the Australian Sports Medal
- 2001 – Centenary Medal for service to Australian society through the sport of rugby league
- 2003 – Inducted into the Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame
- 2004 – Named the seventh selected post-war ‘Immortal’ of the Australian Game with Clive Churchill, Johnny Raper, Reg Gasnier, Bob Fulton, Graeme Langlands and Wally Lewis.
During 2008, the centenary year of rugby league in Australia, Beetson:
- made the list of Australia's 100 Greatest Players (1908–2007)
- was made a life member of the Sydney Cricket Ground with a plaque in the Walk of Honour commemorates his career
- was retrospectively awarded the Clive Churchill Medal as Man of the Match in the 1974 Grand Final.
