Bruce Ruxton

Bruce Caryle Ruxton AM, OBE (born 6 February 1926) is an Australian ex-serviceman and former President of the Victorian Returned and Services League.

Early life

He grew up in Kew, Victoria.

War service

He enlisted in the Australian Army on 22 February 1944 and served in the Second World War in the South West Pacific Area, the Netherlands East Indies and Balikpapan in Borneo, and for three years he served in Japan with the British Commonwealth Occupation Force, as a rifleman in the 2/25 Australian Infantry Battalion of the 7th Division. He was discharged on 12 January 1949 but was not promoted beyond Private.

Representing the war veterans

After his war service, he became a vocal spokesman on behalf of war veterans and their families, ensuring that they got their pensions and entitlements. As the Second World War veterans got older, he lobbied on their behalf regarding issues such as nursing homes and retirement accommodation.

In 1975 he received the MBE, the OBE in 1981, the AM in 1996, and in 1997 the Chevalier of Order of Merit from Jacques Chirac. Also he received the Légion d'honneur.

Following two years of ill-health due to viral pneumonia during a visit to Boer War sites Ruxton resigned from the RSL in June 2002.

Advocacy

Along with RSL National President, Brigadier Alf Garland, Ruxton was a staunch opponent of the Multifunction Polis (MFP), a Japanese funded technology city proposed in 1987 for the north of Adelaide. Ruxton said it would become "a Jap City".cite news |first=Ben |last=Hills |title=The $2 billion creature on a black lagoon |publisher="Good Weekend" |location=Sydney |page=8 |date=1992-06-27 |accessdate=2008-01-12 ]

In the 1998 Constitutional Convention for the Republic he represented monarchist group Safeguard the People.

In 1991, Ruxton appeared on the Nine Network's "Midday" television show with host Ray Martin, to advocate Australia remaining a monarchy, in a live televised debate with singer Normie Rowe and radio broadcaster Ron Casey. The debate got out of hand, with Normie Rowe and Ron Casey physically brawling on live TV. The following day, Ruxton said: "As for Ron Casey, he deserved a good punch in the nose. He certainly did not do his cause any good. We have enough problems to fix up without arguing and fighting over whether Australia should become a republic."cite book |last=Blair |first=Anne |authorlink= |title=Ruxton: A Biography |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=7JjEY83NUikC&pg=PA189&lpg=PA189&dq=%22bruce+ruxton%22+%22normie+rowe%22&source=web&ots=N7Pa8m-rKF&sig=8KMa466LwVDBfpryexj3yHAoEeI#PPA189,M1 |accessdate=2008-01-25 |year=2004 |publisher=Allen & Unwin |isbn=1741142229 |pages=188-189 ]

Popular culture

A character originally from Australia You're Standing In It (and later in Fast Forward), Bruce Rump, was based on him. Bruce Rump would rant in a voice similar to Ruxton's, sometimes reaching a violent frenzy and ending with the non sequitur "... and that's why we should keep the bloody flag the same!" The send ups of Bruce Rump would often also be send ups of long running Australian children's TV series Play School.

Ruxton made fun of himself by releasing a rap single, in which he lampooned his own persona. A song by Melbourne punk band Res-Heads was named after Ruxton. [http://www.mp3.com.au/track.asp?id=24565]

References

External links

* [http://www.suncoast.com.au/republic/convention/del/rux-br.html|Bruce Ruxton as delegate in the Constitutional Convention 1998, including statements and speeches]
* [http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:H0YzigOVBocJ:www.allenandunwin.com/extracts/pdfs/1741142229.pdf+%22Ruxton%22%2B%22Anne%22&hl=en&client=firefox|Extract from Anne Blair's biography "Ruxton" (2004), describing how Ruxton helped the Vietnam veterans]
* [http://www.api-network.com/cgi-bin/reviews/jrbview.cgi?n=1741142229&issue=29 This review, from the Australian Public Institute by Martin Crothy, tells more about Ruxton's war service and his outspoken comments on many issues.]
* [http://cousincreep.com/ruxton/ Bruce Ruxton Rap Single from 1992]