Peter FitzSimons

Early life

FitzSimons grew up in Peats Ridge, in the Central Coast of New South Wales, near Sydney. He was the seventh and last child of Beatrice Helen (née Booth; 1920–1994), OAM, and Peter McCloy FitzSimons (1916–1992), a citrus fruit farmer who had seen active service in World War II as an AIF artilleryman. He attended Peats Ridge Primary School, and Knox Grammar School before accepting an American Field Service Scholarship to go to Ohio for a year. Upon his return he earned an arts degree at the University of Sydney, studying government and political science, and resided at Wesley College from 1980 to 1982.

Rugby

FitzSimons' club rugby was played first with the Sydney University Football Club and then with the Manly RUFC in Sydney in the 1980s under the coaching of Alan Jones. Between 1985 and 1989 he played with CA Brive in France for four seasons, becoming the club's first ever foreign player. He played seven Tests at lock for Australia between 1989 and 1990, debuting against France in Strasbourg in November 1989, on the Wallabies 1989 tour of Europe. Five of his career international appearances were against France. His final Test match was against New Zealand in Christchurch.

FitzSimons has recounted how he was the only Wallaby (up to 2010) to have been sent from the field in a match against the All Blacks. The dismissal occurred when FitzSimons was playing for an invitational South Australian side against the All Blacks at the Hindmarsh Stadium in Adelaide in 1992. Drew Mitchell was subsequently dismissed while playing for Australia against the All Blacks in 2010.

Former Wallaby winger David Campese has previously criticised FitzSimons for starting a brawl in Australia's first Test against France in 1990. Campese labelled FitzSimons' actions "a disgrace to the good name of rugby" and asserted that "he was doing the game and its reputation enormous damage." Campese cautioned that if such fights "turn even one family away from the game, then they have been too costly."

However, Campese later told Canberra sports journalist Geoff Hawke, in the Canberra Times, that he regretted publishing his comments about FitzSimons. Campese is reported saying that, “Fitzy is a good friend but he’s very upset about what I said about his fighting in a French Test last year. At the time, I thought it was okay, but in hindsight I probably should have toned it down.”

Journalist

FitzSimons has written for The Sydney Morning Herald since 1988, and has been a sports columnist for that publication since 1987. He regularly appears on the Australian Foxtel programme, The Back Page, hosted by rugby league journalist Mike Gibson. For the Saturday edition of the Sydney Morning Herald, FitzSimons writes a column titled "The Fitz Files" which looks at all the happenings over the past seven days in sport. He writes a more general version of "The Fitz Files" in The Sun-Herald on Sundays, focusing on community activities and events in Sydney. Andrew Denton has called him "Australia's finest sports journalist".

Radio

In January 2006 he began co-hosting a breakfast radio program with Mike Carlton on Sydney radio station 2UE. He was brought onto the 2UE breakfast show in an attempt to boost the program's dwindling ratings. Mike Carlton was vocal in his opposition to having an on-air partner, but the move paid dividends with an immediate audience increase. However, the Mike and Fitz Breakfast Show still trailed a long way behind the number one program on 2GB, hosted by FitzSimons' former coach Alan Jones. After two years on Breakfast with Mike and Fitz, FitzSimons hung up the headphones to become a stay-at-home dad and focus on his writing.

Australian Republican Movement

FitzSimons, who has been a long-time supporter of Australia as a republic, was appointed in July 2015 as the head of the Australian Republican Movement. In August 2015, he said that he wants to reignite the issue.

Books

FitzSimons' published works include:

He has written biographies of Ned Kelly, Kim Beazley, Nick Farr-Jones, John Eales, Nancy Wake, Steve Waugh and Les Darcy.

Boards

He is or has been involved with several organisations as a patron or board member, including:

Personal life

FitzSimons is married to Australian journalist and TV presenter Lisa Wilkinson, best known as Nine Network Today Show host. They have three children; sons Jake, Louis; and daughter Billi.

FitzSimons has identified himself as an atheist; he is an outspoken Australian republican and supports changes to the Australian flag. He is the younger brother of Dapto High School Principal, Andrew FitzSimons.

Honours

On 13 June 2011, FitzSimons was named a Member of the Order of Australia for service to literature as a biographer, sports journalist and commentator, and to the community through contributions to conservation, disability care, social welfare and sporting organisations.