James Hardy was best received as an Australian winemaker and businessman who was also noted for his yachting achievements.
Hardy was educated at Brighton Primary School, St. Peter’s College, and the South Australian Institute of Technology. On leaving school, he spent two years share farming at Port Vincent, South Australia, then joined the family wine company Thomas Hardy and Sons in 1953, working as a shipping clerk.
Hardy then served as Sales Supervisor from 1957 to 1961, then as Regional Director for the Eastern States of Australia, when he and his family moved permanently to Sydney with a residence in Manly. He was appointed chairman in 1981 and non-executive director in 1992 when it merged to become BRL Hardy Wine Company.
James Hardy’s top movies and TV shows
Hardy was a renowned world champion yachtsman, he represented Australia at two Olympic Games (1964 in Tokyo and 1968 in Mexico City), skippered three America’s Cup challenges (in 1970, 1974, and 1980), and competed in four Admiral’s Cup Ocean Racing Championships.
James Hardy Awards and nominations
In the 1975 Birthday Honours, in recognition of his contribution to sailing and the community, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to sport and the community.
In the 1981 Birthday Honours, he was invested as a Knight Bachelor by Queen Elizabeth II, for yachting services. In 1994, Hardy was inducted into the America’s Cup Hall of Fame In 2000 he was awarded the Australian Sports Medal.
Hardy was Chairman of Sydney’s Australia Day Regatta, serving from 2004 until 2011, and was a patron of numerous organizations and charities. He also has a street named after him in the South Australian suburb of Woodcroft.
Source: Ghanafuo.com
