Greg Hartung

Gregory Neil Hartung AO (born 3 June 1948) is a leading Australian and international sport administrator.

He has an extensive and distinguished career in sport particularly in terms of administration and journalism.

Hartung was born in Maryborough, Queensland in 1948.

His father was a hairdresser and mother was a nurse.

His father died in 1950 from a war related illness and mother died when he was 14.

In 1959, Hartung's mother and two siblings had located to Wellers Hill in Brisbane.

Hartung attended Mary Immaculate Primary School, Annerley, St James College, Brisbane and St Laurence's College.

Hartung was dux of his class in his final year at St Laurence's College and captain of the First XV rugby union team, which were joint premiers.

Legacy Australia supported him to complete his schooling.

In 1970, Hartung completed a Bachelor of Arts degree and Diploma of Journalism at the University of Queensland.

He has a Master of Arts from the University of Sydney and his thesis examined the impact of lobbying on Australian Government's decision-making process.

His wife Maureen Hartung OAM is executive director of the Blue Gum Community School in Canberra.

In 1972, Hartung was employed as a cadet at the Courier Mail.

In 1973, he joined the Australian in its newly opened Brisbane Office as a graded journalist.

He was employed as a sports journalist in Sydney and London.

In 1975, he took up a position as a political correspondent for The Australian in Canberra.

In 1975, he worked as a political journalist in Canberra and during this time, Hartung wrote several newspaper articles highlighting the inadequate support from the Federal Government for sport and assisted John Brown, Shadow Minister for Sport, to develop the Australian Labor Party's sport policy for the 1983 Federal Election.

He wrote a chapter titled Sport and the Canberra Lobby for the book Sport : money, morality and the media.

Hartung was appointed a member of the Interim Committee of the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) established by Minister for Sport, John Brown in early 1983.

In 1984, he was appointed general manager of the Australian Sports Commission, a position which he held until 1988.

During his period as general manager, the ASC developed programs in sport participation including Aussie Sport and high performance support for athletes.

From 1989 to 1995, Hartung was President of the Confederation of Australian Sport, a peak sport body with the objective of providing a united voice in negotiations with government and stakeholders.

As President, he argued that all minor sports deserved support due to the Australian Sports Commission's mandate of sport being for all Australians.

He was made a life member of the Confederation.

From 1991 to 1996, he was an Australian Sports Commission Commissioner.

He was President of the Australian Paralympic Committee from 1997 to 2013 and served as vice-president of the International Paralympic Committee 2009–13.

Hartung was President of the Australian Paralympic Committee from 1997 to 2013 Hartung served as the President of the South Pacific Paralympic Committee.

Hartung provided strategic advice to Australian Paralympic Federation in its bid to host the 2000 Paralympic Games in Sydney.

He also established the Oceania Paralympic Committee, and served as the Deputy President of the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games Organizing Committee.

Peter Dutton, Minister for Sport made the following comments about Hartung after his resignation as APC President.

His son Michael was the general manager of Sport at the Australian Paralympic Committee and was appointed Chef de Mission for the Australian Paralympic Team at the 2010 Winter Paralympics in Vancouver, Canada.

His daughter Catherine, recently completed a PhD in children's rights at the University of Wollongong.

In 2021, he donated his personal collection of papers to the National Library of Australia.

His papers covered his life in journalism and sport administration.

In 2023, Hartung authored the book "The Great Arm Wrestle: Australian Sport Policy since 1939".

In August 2006, he was appointed to the Board of the Australian Sports Commission and in November 2008 was appointed chairman, a position which he held until his resignation on 4 April 2010.

He resigned due to increased International Paralympic Committee commitments.

Minister for Sport, Kate Ellis paid tribute by stating "Mr Hartung is a leader in national and international sports administration and we're fortunate to have benefitted from his talents over many years. Mr Hartung's dedication to sport, and particular achievement in promoting elite sport for those with a disability, has contributed to a well-run and inclusive sporting environment in Australia".

Whilst on the Board, he was Chairman of the Australian Sports Foundation.

In 2014, he was appointed adjunct professor of sport at the University of Canberra and will be involved in the new Master of High Performance Sport course.