Jerome Flynn is an English actor.
Ronald Edward McAuliffe OBE -LRB- 25 June 1918 -- 16 August 1988 -RRB- was a politician and sports administrator in Queensland , Australia .. OBE. Order of the British Empire. Queensland. Queensland Maroons. Australia. Australia. He is best remembered for his years running the Queensland Rugby League , and his instrumental role in the formation of the State of Origin series .. Queensland. Queensland Maroons. Queensland Rugby League. Queensland Rugby League. State of Origin series. State of Origin series. McAuliffe attended school at St. Joseph 's College , Gregory Terrace in Brisbane .. Brisbane. Brisbane. In 1932 he played rugby league for the Gregory Terrace firsts .. rugby league. rugby league. He started playing senior rugby league in 1937 for the Northern Suburbs club , but with the outbreak of World War II he joined the Australian Imperial Force .. Australian. Australian Kangaroos. rugby league. rugby league. Northern Suburbs. Norths Devils. World War II. World War II. Australian Imperial Force. Second Australian Imperial Force. He served as a Warrant Officer for five years , before being honourably discharged after service in the Middle East and New Guinea with the 2 / 2 Casualty Clearing Station .. Middle East. Middle East. New Guinea. New Guinea. After the war McAuliffe worked with the Queensland Railways Audit Office .. Queensland. Queensland Maroons. Whilst living at New Farm he formed social bonds with a number of Valleys players .. New Farm. New Farm, Queensland. Valleys. Fortitude Valley Diehards. In the late 1940s he moved to Fortitude Valley 's Brunswick Street , sharing a flat Roy Westaway , a former international representative playing for the Diehards .. Roy Westaway. Roy Westaway. Fortitude Valley. Fortitude Valley. According to Australian rugby league hall of fame inductee Duncan Hall , who was also playing for Valleys  :. Australian. Australian Kangaroos. rugby league. rugby league. Valleys. Fortitude Valley Diehards. Australian rugby league hall of fame. Australian rugby league hall of fame. Duncan Hall. Duncan Hall. -LRB- Ron -RRB- was one of those blokes who was always around the place ... he knew everyone worth knowing , and everyone knew him .. He drank at the Valley pub with us every night after work .. In fact , he was one of those blokes who was the life of the party and who never seemed to want to go home .. He was always around .. McAuliffe was elected to the Valley 's committee and became the club 's delegate to the Brisbane Rugby League in 1951 .. Brisbane. Brisbane. Brisbane Rugby League. Brisbane Rugby League premiership ( rugby league competition ). In 1952 he was elected chairman of the Brisbane Rugby League .. Brisbane. Brisbane. Brisbane Rugby League. Brisbane Rugby League premiership ( rugby league competition ). In 1953 the Brisbane Rugby League was subsumed into the Queensland Rugby League -LRB- QRL -RRB- .. Queensland. Queensland Maroons. Queensland Rugby League. Queensland Rugby League. Brisbane. Brisbane. Brisbane Rugby League. Brisbane Rugby League premiership ( rugby league competition ). Ron McAuliffe became secretary to the organisation and began negotiations with the Brisbane City Council to lease Lang Park .. Brisbane. Brisbane. Brisbane City Council. Brisbane City Council. Lang Park. Lang Park. On 30 June 1971 McAuliffe was elected as a Senator for the Australian Labor Party in the Parliament of Australia .. Senator. Australian Senate. Australian. Australian Kangaroos. Australian Labor Party. Australian Labor Party. Australia. Australia. Parliament of Australia. Parliament of Australia. That year he also became president of the QRL .. Although initially opposed to the idea , McAuliffe became a driving force behind the establishment of the State of Origin series .. State of Origin series. State of Origin series. The 1980s were to prove a golden period for rugby league in Queensland .. Queensland. Queensland Maroons. rugby league. rugby league. McAuliffe sat in the Senate until 30 June 1981 .. At the end of 1981 he was awarded Officer status in the Order of the British Empire .. Order of the British Empire. Order of the British Empire. McAuliffe died in August 1988 from a stroke .. His funeral was held on 17 August 1988 at St. Patrick 's Roman Catholic Church in Fortitude Valley and he was buried in Nudgee Cemetery .. Fortitude Valley. Fortitude Valley. Nudgee Cemetery. Nudgee Cemetery. His pall bearers included then Australian and Queensland captain Wally Lewis .. Queensland. Queensland Maroons. Australian. Australian Kangaroos. Wally Lewis. Wally Lewis. In his obituary The Courier-Mail journalist Barry Dick wrote that `` he -LSB- Ron McAuliffe -RSB- loved a drink , loved an argument , and most of all , he loved company . ''. The Courier-Mail. The Courier-Mail. Barry Dick. Barry Dick. The Ron McAuliffe Medal is awarded to each year 's State of Origin Queensland player of the series .. Queensland. Queensland Maroons. Ron McAuliffe Medal. Rugby league State of Origin results and statistics#Ron McAuliffe Medal. Lang Park 's Ron McAuliffe stand was also named in his honour .. Lang Park. Lang Park. In 2009 McAuliffe was inducted into the Queensland Sport Hall of Fame .. Queensland. Queensland Maroons