Ivan Francis Champion OBE (9 March 1904 – 12 August 1989) was an Australian public servant in Papua New Guinea.

[1] Unable to fulfil his ambition to join the navy due to poor eyesight and discouraged from becoming a patrol officer in Papua by his father, who was concerned about accusations of nepotism,[2] he began working for Union Bank in Sydney.

However, he was able to join the Papuan civil service following a 1923 meeting with Papua's Lieutenant-Governor Hubert Murray, becoming a cadet clerk the following May.

[1] Following the Japanese invasion in January 1942, Champion joined the militia in February, before being appointed a sub-lieutenant in the Royal Australian Naval Volunteer Reserve.

He became commanding officer of HMAS Laurabada and helped evacuate soldiers from Jacquinot Bay in April 1942, earning a promotion to lieutenant in June.