Stefan Ackerie

Stefan Ackerie (born 1941), usually known by the mononym Stefan, is a businessman who owns a chain of hairdressing salons in Brisbane, Australia.

The Skyneedle, over Stefan's headquarters, June 2019

Early life

He was born in 1941 in Batroun, Lebanon. His family migrated when he was 15 to Adelaide, South Australia, where he trained as a hairdresser and learned to speak English at nightschool.[1]

Career
The Stefan Racquet being removed from Milton Courts, circa 1999

He owns a chain of approximately fifty hairdressing salons throughout Queensland and New South Wales, as well as the Brisbane restaurant Jo Jo's, a bar and restaurant originally opened above the Queen Street Mall in the 1970s and now relocated to Melbourne Street, South Brisbane.[2][3] He also owns Stefan's Boating World in Coomera on the Gold Coast.[4]

Stefan's Brisbane headquarters is located in South Brisbane, underneath the Skyneedle, a landmark which Stefan bought to prevent it being moved overseas after World Expo '88.[5] When the Milton Tennis Centre was demolished circa 1999, Stefan also rescued the 7-metre (23 ft) tennis racquet icon (based on the Aldila brand) erected there (he had sponsored the Queensland Tennis Open competition at that site). In June 2014, it was finally re-erected over the Frew Park tennis facility which replaced the Milton Tennis Centre.[6]

Awards
The Stefan Racquet restored to Frew Park, circa 2014

In 2013 Stefan was presented a Queensland Greats Award from the Queensland Government.[7]

Stefan was a finalist in the 2004 Australian of the Year awards.[8] He is also a keen power boat racer and holds the records for the fastest crossing of Bass Strait[9] and the fastest crossing of the Straits of Malacca.[1]

Personal life

Stefan lives in Brisbane. He has two sons, Mike and Steven Ackerie. In the 1980s he had a highly publicised relationship with Australian journalist Liz Hayes. In 2009, he began a relationship with his long-time personal assistant, Rose King, who now manages Jo-Jo's Restaurant along with her daughter Jess King.[10]

References
  1. Lindsay, Cat. "The life story and photos of Stefan Ackerie". Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  2. "South Bank Corporation Board". Archived from the original on 5 May 2007. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  3. "Jo Jo's Restaurant and Bar". Must Do Brisbane. August 2017. Archived from the original on 10 October 2019. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  4. "About Us". Stefan's Boating World. Archived from the original on 10 March 2019. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  5. Atfield, Cameron (22 August 2015). "Skyneedle 'should never have left South Bank': Stefan". Brisbane Times. Archived from the original on 10 October 2019. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  6. Moore, Tony (20 June 2014). "Stefan's big racquet returns to new tennis park at Milton". Brisbane Times. Archived from the original on 10 October 2019. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  7. "2013 Queensland Greats recipients". Queensland Government. Archived from the original on 31 May 2017. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
  8. "National Australia Day Council – Australian of the Year Award". Archived from the original on 10 October 2006. Retrieved 12 November 2006.
  9. "Stefan – History". Archived from the original on 29 August 2007. Retrieved 12 November 2006.
  10. "New Love for Stefan Ackerie". The Courier Mail. 9 May 2009. Archived from the original on 1 November 2016. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
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