The Melbourne Cricket Club is saddened to learn of the passing of Ian Ross Huntington OAM – a 50-Year member, volunteer and Hans Ebeling Award winner. He was 92 years old.
Ian’s contribution to the MCC was vast and impactful – from participating in and supporting many of the Club’s Sporting Sections to welcoming visitors to the Melbourne Cricket Ground as an MCG Tour Guide and MCC Museum Volunteer for 15 years.Ian was a first-class cricket player who represented Victoria across 46 matches between 1953 and 1964. The left-hand batter made 2,233 runs for Victoria, including nine 50s and five centuries.
He also played 126 1st XI cricket games for the MCC – spending seven years as captain, before moving to coach for 10 years and serving 10 years on the MCC Cricket Committee.
The avid sports-lover was involved as a player in the MCC Baseball Section between 1948 and 1953, the Tennis Section between 1969 and 1983 and the Hockey Section in 1961, 1964 and 1966.
In 1983, he was awarded the Hans Ebeling Award – one of the Club’s most prestigious awards celebrating outstanding service to the MCC’s Sporting Sections.
His service to the sport of cricket was further recognised when, in 1991, he received the Medal of the Order of Australia for his service to junior cricket administration.
In 2009 Ian became an MCG Tour Guide, showcasing the iconic stadium to thousands of visitors from around the world. For the last four years, Ian has been a regular volunteer in the MCC Museum on Wednesday afternoons.
We thank Ian for his many years of service and dedication to the Melbourne Cricket Club, and send our thoughts to his family and friends.