Human 19: Peter FitzSimons AM

Author and Journalist

Peter FitzSimons has been Australia’s best-selling non-fiction author for the past 10 years, covering topics from Ned Kelly and Tobruk, to biographies of Les Darcy, Kim Beazley and John Eales. He is also a former Waratah and Wallaby, chair of the Australian Republic Movement, and a journalist for the Sydney Moring Herald, where he has had a regular column for the best part of 35 years. In 2011, Peter 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.

Fitz is a story teller. He is loud, eccentric and interesting. Reading something from him - whether it be a text message, email, article, or book - is like having him in the room next to you, gesturing wildly as he makes his point. Thankfully, his answers to these questions are no exception.

Peter is a human mammal. Here are his thoughts:

What brings you the most joy in life?

When I was a boy I read the autobiography of Dennis Lillee. I remember him saying that happiness came from setting yourself goals and achieving them - I’m with him there.

In my personal life, my family and my various activities bring me the most joy. I play touch football, basketball, tennis, and I love backgammon. I am addicted to backgammon - it may be easy for other people to it give up, but not for me… because I’m so good!

In my professional life, I’m happiest when writing books. I’ve just finished one on the Sydney Opera House and completing it kills me a little, because I love working on it so much. When you write a book, it’s like having a new family member, like a child you want to see grow strong, be respected and travel the world. That’s what I want for my books. Writing them and sending them off into the world gives me great satisfaction.

What does success mean to you?

My happiest times are seeing my family love and look after each other. I’m blessed to have a tight, nuclear family… people often ask me, ‘are you are writer, a former footballer… what are you? An author or journalist? My answer always comes back to my family. I’m the youngest of the FitzSimiii of Peats Ridge and the eldest of the FitzSimiii-Wilkinsons of Neutral Bay.

What do you see as your greatest achievement?

In professional terms, 35 years at the Sydney Morning Herald is a fair achievement - I’m very pleased with that. The book I’m currently finishing on the Opera House is certainly the most difficult book I’ve ever done, so that’s felt like a substantial achievement as well. But again, I’d come back to family - I think my greatest achievement is the part I’ve played in creating a happy family.

What are you most grateful for?

I’d start with my health. Also, I was very lucky to be born to a loving, nurturing, wonderful family, who were able to provide me great security growing up. I always felt that if I ever turned into an axe murderer, the first person through the prison gates on a Sunday would be my mother. I grew up with unconditional love and a fantastic education. 

If you’re going to be blessed with anything, be blessed with family, friends, health, and education.

What is something most people don’t know about you?

I’m throwing myself into indoor rowing at the moment – in September this year I’m entering the virtual British Indoor Rowing Championship, which will see me compete in the 100m, 500m and 2000m in the over 60 section, and I intend to get a couple of medals. I am training for it every day, and my times are getting better as both my strength and my technique improve. 

Who or what has had the biggest influence on your life? 

My parents - they’re the ones that form you. My mother was a saint, my father was a very fine man. I often measure myself against the people my parents were - I don’t measure up, but I aspire to be like them. They are by far and away the biggest influences on my life.

When I was 22 I hitchhiked around Australia. When I crossed the Nullarbor and got to Perth, I met two men in four days who had an approach to life that has influenced me to this day. One travelled the world in his 20’s, then came home to marry a wonderful woman and have a family. The other owned the only petrol station on the Nullarbor, and I looked at the way he lived his life, too, and thought, that will do me. Both men worked really hard, and family-ed hard.

One other guy I’ll mention was called Milto Baratella. He was an architect and was a director of the rugby club I played for in Italy (Rovigo). I loved the way he lived his life. He learnt the piano at the age of 56 - he was a man of enormous passions. He had a huge influence on me. 

What do you regret?

Dan, you understand this better than most. 

It was 1992 and I was on the reserve bench for the World XV v the All Blacks. After 72 minutes on the bench, I was concentrating injury rays at Troy Coker’s knee, willing him to go down so I could get on the field. Sadly, with 7 minutes to go my injury rays missed him and got Willie O’s ankle! At this point the All Blacks were leading by about 5 points and, with 3 minutes left, I ripped the ball from the maul and ran the blind. While charging toward the line, in front of me was John Gallagher, the All Black full back, and it occurred to me that I’d never done a chip and chase in my life - why don’t I do a chip and chase?... then I thought, nah fuck it, I won’t, so I put my shoulder into John Gallagher, lay the ball back, then our five-eighth dropped it and the game finished shortly after.

On my death bed (which will hopefully be 40 years from now), I will say to Lisa… “Arghhh, I should have chipped and chased . . . and we could have won that Test and the whole Centenary Series . . .”  

Has there been a defining moment in your life? Can you tell us about it?

Marrying Lisa. 

That is the most important and influential decision you make - choosing your partner, who you settle down with, who you want to make a life with. My decision to marry Lisa was a great one. As I said to Mia Freedman in an interview 5 years ago, ‘we don’t have a hallmark greeting card marriage, we don’t have 365 days of bliss… we have 300 pretty good days, 50 fantastic days, and we have 15 shockers’. But, since I stopped drinking seven years ago, we only have three shockers. Which is not to say the other twelve are my fault. They’re not. They are her fault, honest! But, stone-cold sober, I can navigate them better.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Keep going hard, but don’t take up smoking at all, pull back on the grog from your 30s on, and when football’s over, don’t descend into slothdom for the next couple of decades. I’ve come good now, but it took me a while to get the hang of it. 

What is the most important thing we can teach kids in school?

Intellectual curiosity.

If you could have a conversation with anyone, living or dead, who would you choose and why?

Ned Kelly. I wrote a book about him, so I understand his story quite well, particularly what happened when he and the Kelly Gang took over the inn at Glenrowan. I want to ask him: “Ned, WHAT THE HELL were you thinking?”

What do you doubt most?

The existence of God. Give me a break, really, a God? A little man above the clouds? You want me to take that seriously – no chance.

When did you last have a significant change of mind?

I don’t think I was ever against gay marriage, but I wasn’t passionately for it. Ten years ago, like most of the world, I was like, ‘argh maybe, maybe not’. But then, once I took the time to think about it, look at the yays and nays – of course we should be for gay marriage! So that was certainly something where my views evolved.

What is the role of luck in our lives?

Huge. Sure, you work hard and make your own luck, but either way, luck has a huge influence on our lives. I am doing a book on Australian language at the moment, and one of my favourite expressions to describe a lucky person is, “That bloke has been fucked by a rainbow!”

Do you have a favourite quote? What is it? Why do you like it?

It was in an old black and white movie I saw late one night in the late 1960s, while staying up late with my other. An old man said to a weeping young woman, “My dear, you must suck the juice from the marrow of life until it runs down your chin.”

I loved it, and it really affected me.

If you could have the definitive answer to a single question, what would you ask?

That’s a really good question. I don’t know.

What concept/fact/idea should every human on the planet understand?

Climate change. It’s happening. Its real. We’ve got to get on top of it.

Do human beings have free will?

Yes, human beings have free will, of course.

Do you believe in God?

God, no.

Could we be living in a simulated universe?

No.

Will the continual development of technology have a net positive or negative influence on humanity?

Only if we get on top of climate change, that’s the challenge.

What is the single greatest achievement of humanity?

In a book I wrote about Kingsford Smith, I said that, “The history of aviation shows how in 66 years (1903-1969), mankind went from 3 foot off the ground to one foot on the moon.”  The moon landing was the most extraordinary achievement of humanity. 

What do you see as the biggest existential threat to humanity?

Climate change.

What does it mean to live a good life?

To plant a tree knowing you’ll never sit under its shade. That’s the legacy of a good life. To do things that will outlast you.

What is a good death?

When our second son, Louis, was about 7, he was crook and laying in bed. Lisa and I, and his brother and sister, all of us milled around him with wet face washers trying to cool him down… kind of like wolves with a sick wolf or whales with a sick whale… I remember thinking at the time, when I go, that would be a good way - family close to me, wiping my body down to keep me cool, and then, see ya later!... And what will be waiting for me? Blackness. I don’t believe in any afterlife, but I do want to live a good life and enjoy it while I can!

Thanks for your time, Peter!

Twitter: @Peter_Fitz

Instagram: @peter_fitzsimons

Website: peterfitzsimons.com.au

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