Stawell Gift

Last updated

Stawell Gift
Central Park (Stawell Gift) Pano, Stawell, Vic, jjron, 12.01.2011.jpg
Central Park, Stawell, site of the Stawell Gift, with the historic grandstand in centre frame; the Gift is run diagonally across the oval, finishing to the right of the grandstand near the large tree
Date Easter weekend
Location Stawell, Victoria, Australia
Event type Sprint (handicapped)
Distance120 metres (390 ft)
Primary sponsor Powercor Australia (since 2021)
Established1878, 146 years ago
Official site www.stawellgift.com

The Stawell Gift is Australia's oldest and richest short-distance running race. It is the main event in an annual carnival held on Easter weekend by the Stawell Athletic Club, with the main race finals on the holiday Monday, at Central Park, Stawell in the Grampian Mountains district of western Victoria. As of 2016 the carnival encompasses events for both men and women of all ages and abilities, across distances from 70 to 3,200 metres (230 to 10,500 feet). [1]

Contents

The final of the iconic main race is run on grass over 120 m (390 ft) up a slight gradient. Competitors are handicapped according to their form, with each competitor "marked" by between 0 and 10 m (0 and 33 ft) or more to theoretically reach the finish line at the same time. [2] This process is administered by the Victorian Athletic League (VAL). Due to the relatively short handicap limit, the class of runners that can potentially win the event is limited compared to other Gifts in Australia.

The winner is, hypothetically, the runner who can best "rise to the occasion" and perform better than their previous form, although the key can often be to perform slightly below their best in lead-up events and thus receive a favourable handicap. In 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia the race was postponed, but in May the race was cancelled, the first time since World War 2. In 2021, branded as the "Powercor Stawell Gift", the race was run at its usual Easter long weekend dates on 3–5 April.

History

The Stawell Gift began in 1878 at the end of the gold rush, as the "Easter Gift" of £24 (several thousands in today's dollars) conducted by the Stawell Athletic Club in a program of seven races, most run in multiple heats. [3] It has been raced every year since, except for four years during the Second World War,[ citation needed ] and in 2020 due to the world-wide COVID-19 pandemic. [4] Originally it was the townspeople putting together an entertainment package to happen over Easter, complete with 'special trains' to the event. Today it is the most prestigious footrace in Australia, with a $40,000AUD first prize. The finals are televised live around Australia, [5] [6] and internationally. [7]

The event was historically run over 130 yards (118.9 m). [8] In 1973 the race converted to the metric system, and the distance was altered to 120 metres (131.2 yd), essentially an identical distance. Electronic timing was introduced in 1982 thus allowing higher precision in race results. [9]

In July 2009 the city of Ballarat made a bid to "poach" the Gift. They offered the Stawell Athletic Club A$1.25 million to host the race from 2010, for five years. At this time the Gift had financial difficulties. [10] The offer was withdrawn later in July. The Victorian state government "ruled out" providing monetary assistance. [11]

In 2010 the Gift track was found to be around 3 metres too long, with times much slower than expected during the heats. [12]

In 2019 the Gift was having trouble attracting sponsors. This resulted in a reduction in prizemoney. In 2018 the prize pool for the men's and women's Gift was A$40,000 each race, which was reduced by A$15,000 in 2019. The Northern Grampians Shire Council offered assistance. [13] It has been estimated that the Gift contributes A$5 million to the local economy. [14]

In 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic the race was initially postponed. The Stawell Athletic Club was considering "… options to run the event later in the year". [14] In May the 2020 race was cancelled, the first time since World War 2. [4]

Powercor Australia are the naming rights sponsor for five years, starting in 2021. [15]

The 2021 Gift, branded as the "Powercor Stawell Gift" and the 139th event, ran on its usual Easter long weekend dates of 3–5 April. It was won by Edward Ware of Victoria, and the women's event was won by Hayley Orman from South Australia. [16]

Format

On Easter Saturday the heats are conducted, with the winner of each heat going through to the semi-finals along with the next best fastest times. On Easter Monday, the six semi-finals are run approximately two hours before the final, with only semi-final winners advancing to the final. Six semi-finals were first run in 1988, before which there were only five semi-finals.

The Gift is run on a 120 m grass track in front of the 100-year-old Stawell Grandstand, and the athletes run in lanes that are separated by lane ropes rather than painted lines. [2]

The idea of the handicap system is that all runners should, theoretically, cross the line at the same time. The handicapper works out what mark or handicap the runner will have according to their previous performances in sprint events. Currently the maximum handicap is 10 metres, although this is occasionally increased to 11.

Each metre in handicap denotes approximately a tenth of a second in time. Race winners are often those that are able to "beat the handicapper", in that they need to perform well enough to qualify for the event and the finals, but below what they are truly capable of, so that they receive a handicap that gives them the best chance of a victory. [2] The handicapping system often ends up pitting local runners against international professionals.

Gambling is allowed in the venue, and there is an extensive bookmaker's compound.

While the Stawell Gift is the feature race, the meeting also includes many other races, with more than sixty events taking place over the three-day meeting. [9] The Women's Gift has run since 1989. [9] In 2015, the Women's Gift had equal prizemoney with the men's for the first time.

Records

Winners - Men's Stawell Gift

The list of winners of the Stawell Gift: [9]

YearWinning RunnerCity/TownCounty/State/TerritoryNationHandicap
(yd or m)
Time/s
1878 William Millard Condah Victoria Australia 312.75
1879E.S. Grose Creswick Victoria Australia 6.513
1880C.G. Witney Brighton Victoria Australia 7.512.7
1881J. Rodgers Avoca Victoria Australia 912
1882A.B. Parkinson Sale Victoria Australia 1112.75
1883 Bobby Kinnear Dimboola Victoria Australia 1412.5
1884W. Smith Melbourne Victoria Australia 7.512
1885W. Mummery Bowman's Forest Victoria Australia 1012.25
1886W.B Clarke England 711.75
1887J. Brown Balmoral Victoria Australia 1211.75
1888 Charles Bingham Fitzroy Victoria Australia 10.511.75
1889E.S Skinner U.S.A 912
1890J. Midson Eaglehawk Victoria Australia 1111.875
1891H. Martin Maryborough Victoria Australia 1311.75
1892A. Heppner Port Melbourne Victoria Australia 1212
1893E.J. Hough Mudgee New South Wales Australia 12.511.5
1894P.J. Breen Gippsland Victoria Australia 1111.75
1895W.E. Joy Dunolly Victoria Australia 512.25
1896R.G. Nesbitt Adelaide South Australia Australia 11.512.5
1897 George Stuckey North Melbourne Victoria Australia 1212.2
1898J.S. Lewis Euroa Victoria Australia 1411.8
1899 Norm Clark Rosebery South Australia Australia 14.511.8
1900 Dave Strickland Manzies Western Australia Australia 1012
1901E.T. Kenny Woodend Victoria Australia 1412
1902 Alf Tredinnick Malvern Victoria Australia 11.512.2
1903H. Dew Adelaide South Australia Australia 1212.0
1904J.F. Flanagan East Melbourne Victoria Australia 1212.2
1905C.N. McKenzie Mount Gambier South Australia Australia 10.512
1906E.W. Thompson Abbotsford Victoria Australia 1012.2
1907C.W. Knox Numurkah Victoria Australia 12.512.4
1908 Chris King [17] Rutherglen Victoria Australia 1211.8
1909 Harold Franklin Rigby Burnie Tasmania [18] Australia 11.511.8
1910 Tom Dancey Dirranbandi Queensland Australia 1311.6
1911D.H Devine Stawell Victoria Australia 1311.4
1912 Ernest Carter Kew Victoria Australia 11.512.2
1913 Ernest George North Melbourne Victoria Australia 12.512.2
1914 Billy Robinson Maldon Victoria Australia 1211.8
1915E. Fleming Elphinstone Victoria Australia 1011.4
1916C.P. Cassidy South Melbourne Victoria Australia 13.2512
1917F.C Swindells Moonee Ponds Victoria Australia 11.7512.2
1918A. Roach Melbourne Victoria Australia 1412.6
1919H.W. Evans Abbotsford Victoria Australia 10.512.2
1920A.G. Cashmore Balliang Victoria Australia 712.4
1921L.J. Jennings Parkville Victoria Australia 10.2512.4
1922P.L. Till Cobden Victoria Australia 10.511.7
1923J.E. Curran Stawell Victoria Australia 912
1924 Bill Twomey, Sr. Stawell Victoria Australia 8.512.1
1925T. Banner Carthcart Victoria Australia 512.15625
1926W.G. Allen Coburg Victoria Australia 9.512 4/16
1927T.J. Miles Bundaberg Queensland Australia 1012.0625
1928 Lynch Cooper Jeparit Victoria Australia 811.9375
1929 Clarrie Hearn [17] [19] [20] Tocumwal New South Wales Australia 1011.9375
1930R.K. Hodge Lakes Entrance Victoria Australia 11.7511.8125
1931F.J. Ralph Richmond South Australia Australia 9.511 14/16
1932Roy L. Barker [21] [22] Yarrawonga, then Essendon Victoria Australia 11.7512 2/16
1933C.G. Heath Baileston East Victoria Australia 1111 10/16
1934Tom L. Roberts [23] Mulwala New South Wales Australia 9.7511 9/16
1935M.M. Bishop Port Pirie South Australia Australia 7.512
1936 Ron McCann Castlemaine Victoria Australia 6.512 4/16
1937F.A. Bradley [17] Coolamon New South Wales Australia 1012
1938 Jack Grant Geelong Victoria Australia 11.511 11/16
1939L.W. Sprague Ballarat Victoria Australia 9.511 14/16
1940A.J. Reid Port Augusta South Australia Australia 8.512 3/16
1941 Ken Hutton Davenport Tasmania Australia 7.2512 6/16
1942No Stawell Gift race due to World War II
1943No Stawell Gift race due to World War II
1944No Stawell Gift race due to World War II
1945No Stawell Gift race due to World War II
1946 Tommy Deane Wahring Victoria Australia 711 14/16
1947 Arthur Martin Ballarat Victoria Australia 4.511 14/16
1948 Tom Brudenall Ballarat Victoria Australia 812 3/16
1949 J.E. Cann Broken Hill New South Wales Australia 8.2511 15/16
1950 Ken Trewick Brisbane Queensland Australia 1011 15/16
1951 Gerald Hutchinson Brighton Victoria Australia 811 13/16
1952 Lance Mann [24] Albury New South Wales Australia 7.2511 14/16
1953 Roy Hart Chelsea Victoria Australia 5.7512
1954 Jack Hayes [17] [25] Rutherglen Victoria Australia 911 8/10
1955 John O'Donnell Preston Victoria Australia 8.7512
1956 Bill Williams Altonia Victoria Australia 1211 8/10
1957 Jack Carr Bacchus Marsh Victoria Australia 10.511 8/10
1958 Malcolm Durant Ascot Vale Victoria Australia 8.511 8/10
1959 George Treacey Northcote Victoria Australia 11.2511 8/10
1960 Bill McCann Dimboola Victoria Australia 6.7511 8/10
1961 Colin Savage Nunawading Victoria Australia 6.2512 2/10
1962 Neil Beachley Rosanna Victoria Australia 8.2512 1/10
1963 A.J (John) Bell Moonee Ponds Victoria Australia 1212
1964 Noel Hussey Echuca Victoria Australia 8.512.1
1965 Bruce Cox. Brighton Victoria Australia 7.512
1966 Bill Howard Wodonga Victoria Australia 8.7511.9
1967 Bill Howard Wodonga Victoria Australia 5.7511.6
1968 Ian Miller Surry Hills Victoria Australia 9.7511.6
1969 Barry McLeod Braybrook Victoria Australia 7.7512
1970 Barry Foley Ascot Vale Victoria Australia 1111.8
1971 Treva McGregor Templestowe Victoria Australia 7.2511.7
1972 Barry Foley Ascot Vale Victoria Australia 7.511.8
1973# Bernie Moss Croydon Victoria Australia 10.7512.1
1974 Peter Durham Ripponlea Victoria Australia 7.2512.0
1975 Jean-Louis Ravelomanantsoa Madagascar Scratch12.0
1976 Allen Pollock Heidelberg Victoria Australia 8.512.1
1977 Warren Edmonson U.S.A 1.2512.0
1978 Steve Proudlock Gunnedah New South Wales Australia 811.9
1979 Noel McMahon Ivanhoe Victoria Australia 8.2512.0
1980 John Dinan Viewbank Victoria Australia 5.512.3
1981 George McNeill Scotland 411.9
1982* Chris Perry Malvern Victoria Australia 712.19
1983 Dallas O'Brien Bentleigh Victoria Australia 612.22
1984 Paul Singleton Jilliby New South Wales Australia 511.95
1985 Paul Young Essendon Victoria Australia 10.7512.07
1986 Glen Chapman [26] Albury New South Wales Australia 712.01
1987 Russell Elliott Preston Victoria Australia 8.2512.13
1988 Scott Antonitch Roselands New South Wales Australia 612.28
1989 Simon McIntyre Wagga Wagga New South Wales Australia 612.14
1990 Dean Capobianco Kalamunda Western Australia Australia 2.2512.29
1991 Steve Brimacombe Eltham Victoria Australia 6.7511.93
1992 Andrew McManus Essendon Victoria Australia 712.03
1993 Jason Richardson Caulfield South, Victoria Australia 7.511.94
1994 Rod Lewis Ringwood Victoria Australia 7.512.05
1995 Glenn Crawford Katamatite Victoria Australia 6.511.79
1996 Steve Hutton Alberton South Australia Australia 612.26
1997 Daniel Millard Mount Gambier South Australia Australia 10.7511.98
1998 Dale Seers Edithvale Victoria Australia 7.7512.04
1999 Rodney Matthews Buninyong Victoria Australia 9.511.91
2000 Jarram Pearce Wodonga Victoria Australia 812.01
2001 Andrew Pym South Riverview New South Wales Australia 7.7511.97
2002 Stuart Uhlmann Cedar Grove Queensland Australia 6.7511.98
2003 Josh Ross North Lambton New South Wales Australia 711.92
2004 Jason Hunte Barbados 4.2512.07
2005 Josh Ross Gillieston New South Wales Australia Scratch12.36
2006 Adrian Mott Essendon Victoria Australia 7.2511.98
2007 Nathan Allen Toowoomba Queensland Australia 5.2512.35
2008 Sam Jamieson [27] Williamstown Victoria Australia 6.0012.09
2009 Aaron Stubbs Lismore New South Wales Australia 7.2511.87
2010 Tom Burbidge Canberra Aus. Cap. Territory Australia 8.7512.01
2011 Mitchell Williams Gold Coast Queensland Australia 6.5012.18
2012 Matthew Wiltshire Ballarat Victoria Australia 8.0012.22
2013 Andrew Robinson Launceston Tasmania Australia 7.2512.01
2014 Luke Versace Bayside Victoria Australia 10.012.33
2015 Murray Goodwin Gold Coast Queensland Australia 6.512.10
2016 Isaac Dunmall Brisbane Queensland Australia 6.7512.17
2017 Matthew Rizzo Langwarrin Victoria Australia 7.512.01
2018Jacob Despard [28] Lalor Victoria Australia 10.012.12
2019 Dhruv Rodrigues-Chico Victoria Australia 7.012.11
2020No race due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
2021 Edward Ware [29] Mitcham Victoria Australia 9.7512.19
2022Harrison Kerr [30] Park Orchards Victoria Australia 9.2511.85
2023 Ryan Tarrant [31] Melbourne Victoria Australia 3.7512.23
2024 Jack Lacey [32] Bayswater North Victoria Australia 9.512.27

Notes:
# Converted to metric distances in 1973.
* Commenced electronic timing in 1982. [9]

1878: First winner

The inaugural winner was William J. "Bill" Millard (1855–1939), a farmer from Condah, Victoria, [33] who reputedly trained by chasing kangaroos. Millard, running off 3 yards, won the race when the leading runner, W.J. Lambell, of Birregurra, running off 11 yards, [34] fell two yards before the finish of the race. [35] In 1889, aged 34, he won the 220 yards handicap at Stawell, running off 18 yards; and, at the same meeting, having been run out in the Gift's heats, he came third (off 11 yards) in the consolation race, the 120-yard Jubilee Handicap. [36] Millard married twice, had 22 children, and died in 1939. [37] [38] His great-grandson, Daniel Millard, won the Stawell Gift in 1997. [2]

Winners from scratch

Only two people have ever won the men's race running from scratch (0 m handicap):

Multiple winners

Three sprinters have won the race more than once:

Stawell Gift Olympians

Four Australian Olympians have won the Stawell Gift:

VFL winners

The following Gift winners also played senior VFL football:

Relocation

On a number of occasions there has been discussions about relocating the Stawell Gift for economic reasons.

On 14 February 2001, after much discussion about moving the event to Docklands Stadium in Melbourne, Premier Steve Bracks announced on ABC Local Radio that the Gift would be staying in Stawell and the State Government's $40,000 contribution would continue. [50]

On 14 July 2009, it was announced that Ballarat had offered the Stawell Athletic Club more than $1 million in cash and incentives, including a $20,000 grant to the Stawell Gift Hall of Fame, to relocate the Gift from Central Park in Stawell to Ballarat City Oval for five years. The Club released a statement through Secretary Ian Lawrie stating they were considering the offer but the "decision is, without question, the most difficult ever undertaken by the Committee of the Stawell Athletic Club". He said the club would investigate and exhaust all other options to ensure the survival of Australia's most famous footrace. [51]

On 16 September 2009 Victorian Premier John Brumby announced more than $300,000 State Government funding to keep the Stawell Gift in Stawell. [52]

Winners - Women's Stawell Gift

YearRunnerCounty/State/TerritoryHandicap (m)Time (s)
1989Ruth TaylorSouth Australia8.511.55
1990 Bernadette Marantelli Victoria8.7511.67
1991 Sue Carr Victoria12.7511.52
1992Jodie O'DonellVictoria1311.39
1993Andrea BentonVictoria11.511.42
1994 Karen Parkes Victoria10.511.21
1995 Sue Carr Victoria1311.57
1996 Kelly Simpson South Australia1111.58
1997 Melissa De Jong Victoria4.7512.05
1998 Narelle Harris Victoria9.2511.70
1999 Vanessa Cowling South Australia18.7511.51
2000 Tamsyn Lewis Victoria511.70
2001 Jennifer McGibbon Victoria411.76
2002 Snezana Ivisic Victoria911.67
2003 Kimberley Meagher Victoria14.511.15
2004 Rebecca Foster Victoria14.7511.57
2005 Alison Fairweather New South Wales1311.64
2006 Samantha Brailey Victoria14.514.25
2007 Bronwyn Anderson Victoria10.514.03
2008 Catherine Brennan Victoria4.7513.88
2009 Trisha Greaves New South Wales613.60
2010 Jacqueline Watt Victoria12.2514.06
2011 Melissa Howard Queensland9.513.90
2012 Melissa Breen Australian Capital TerritoryScratch13.95
2013 Davina Strauss New South Wales1013.98
2014 Holly Dobbyn Victoria11.513.13
2015 Grace O'Dwyer Victoria10.2513.40
2016 Talia Martin Victoria1313.7
2017 Liv Ryan Victoria1113.74
2018 Elizabeth Forsyth [28] Queensland713.69
2019 Alexia Loizou Victoria13.0013.60
2020No race (COVID-19 pandemic)
2021 Hayley Orman [29] South Australia9.7513.88
2022 Carla Bull [30] South Australia613.77
2023 Bella Pasquali [31] Victoria7.2513.55
2024 Chloe Mannix-Power [32] Queensland4.2513.42

Further reading

Footnotes

  1. History at official website, 2016. Retrieved 5 May 2020
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Stawell Gift: Top Ten Trivia". Official Website. Stawell Gift 2010. Archived from the original on 19 May 2011. Retrieved 15 January 2011.
  3. "Town Talk". Geelong Advertiser . Vic. 27 March 1878. p. 2. Retrieved 24 July 2014 via National Library of Australia.
  4. 1 2 "No Stawell Gift in 2020". The Sydney Morning Herald. AAP. 28 May 2020. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  5. "TV Broadcast - Stawell Gift". www.stawellgift.com. Stawell Athletic Club. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  6. "ONE to deliver three hours of live Gift coverage on Easter Monday". www.stawellgift.com. Stawell Athletic Club. 4 April 2012. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  7. "Stawell Gift gets broadcasting boost". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 4 February 2010. Retrieved 18 February 2021. ... the television network (ABC's Australia Network) will broadcast the finals live on Easter Monday into countries including China, India, Japan and Pakistan.
  8. 1 2 "Bill Howard's Stawell Gift, 1966". theage.com.au. The Age Company Ltd. 15 April 2006. Retrieved 15 January 2011.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 "Stawell Gift Results". Official Website. Stawell Athletic Club. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
  10. "Ballarat looks to poach Stawell Gift". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 14 July 2009. Retrieved 18 February 2021. The Stawell Athletic Club says it has received a $1.25 million offer from Ballarat to host the race for five years from next year.
  11. "Ballarat withdraws Stawell Gift offer". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 20 July 2009. Retrieved 19 February 2021. ...Victorian Premier John Brumby later signalled the race would stay in Stawell.
  12. Brehaut, David (4 April 2010). "Stawell Gift: track distance error the worst mis-measure". Ballarat: The Courier. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  13. Wales, Sean (7 February 2019). "Stawell Gift, Australia's richest footrace struggles to lure national sponsors". ABC Ballarat. Ballarat: Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 18 February 2021. The prize pool for the men's and women's Stawell Gift last year was $40,000 for each race, with that going down by $15,000 for this year's event.
  14. 1 2 Wales, Sean (18 March 2020). "Coronavirus forces Stawell Gift to be put on hold putting Victorian businesses under unprecedented pressure". ABC Wimmera. Archived from the original on 18 March 2020. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  15. "STAWELL GIFT POWERED UP BY POWERCOR - Stawell Gift". www.stawellgift.com. Stawell Athletic Club. 27 November 2020. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  16. Darling, Alexander (4 April 2021). "Stawell Gift makes triumphant return as Australia's richest footrace". ABC Wimmera. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
  17. 1 2 3 4 Trained by Hall of Fame trainer Jack King, who trained his brother, Chris King (1908), Clarrie Hearn (1929), Frank Bradley (1937), and Jack Hayes (1954): Stawell Gift To Hayes, Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate, (Tuesday, 20 April 1954), p.3.
  18. The Stawell Gift: Burnie Man's Fine Win, North Western Advocate & the Emu Bay Times , (17 April 1909), p.3.
  19. "Clarrie Hearn photo". News. Adelaide News. 28 March 1930. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  20. "Hearn's win at Stawell was well merited". Sporting Globe. The Sporting Globe, 3 April 1929, page 1. 3 April 1929. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  21. "WINNER'S STORY". Trove Newspapers. Sporting Globe. 30 March 1932. p. 11. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  22. "ESSENDON NOVICE DEFEATS FAVORITE IN STAWELL EASTER GIFT". Trove Newspapers. Weekly Times. 2 April 1932. p. 59. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  23. "ROBERTS WINS STAWELL GIFT". Trove Newspapers. Weekly Times. 7 April 1934. p. 60. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  24. "STAWELL PAYOUT TOTALS £15,000 Mann hits 'books' with fine win". Sporting Globe. 15 April 1952. p. 11. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  25. "JACK HAYES COLLECTS STAWELL GIFT IN 11.8 SECS". Advocate (Burnie, Tasmania). 20 April 1954. p. 9. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  26. "Difficult Gift finishes in old school tie quinella". The Canberra Times (ACT). 1 April 1986. p. 18. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  27. Victorian Sam Jamieson wins Stawell Gift
  28. 1 2 "Sixth-time lucky for Stawell Gift winner". ABC News . 2 April 2018. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  29. 1 2 "Stawell Gift makes triumphant return as Australia's richest footrace". ABC News. 4 April 2021. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  30. 1 2 "Harrison Kerr and Carla Bull claim Stawell Gift victory in Australia's richest footrace". ABC News. 18 April 2022. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  31. 1 2 Gleeson, Michael (10 April 2023). "An Essendon connection and a family affair: The two teenagers who won the Stawell Gift". The Age. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
  32. 1 2 Gleeson, Michael (1 April 2024). "'We were actually praying for the rain': Olympic hopeful wins Gift amid wild weather". The Age]. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  33. "History" (PDF). Stawell Gift. Retrieved 17 October 2008.
  34. Town Talk, The Geelong Advertiser, (Wednesday, 3 April 1878), p.2.
  35. Stawell, The Geelong Advertiser, (Tuesday, 23 April 1878), p.2; Notes, The Colac Herald, (Tuesday, 23 April 1878), p.3.
  36. The Stawell Athletic Club Sports, The Bendigo Advertiser, (Tuesday, 23 April 1889), p.2.
  37. Obituary: Millard, The Horsham Times, (Tuesday, 2 May 1939), p.2;
  38. "WON FIRST GIFT". The Argus . No. 28, 918. Melbourne. 29 April 1939. p. 13. Retrieved 27 August 2016 via National Library of Australia.
  39. AFL Tables: George Stuckey
  40. AFL Tables: Norman Clark
  41. AFL Tables: Dave Strickland
  42. Athletics, Kalgoorlie Western Argus, (Tuesday, 15 April 1902), p.38; AFL Tables: Alf Tredinnick.
  43. Stawell Easter Gift, (Broken Hill) Barrier Miner, (Thursday, 16 April 1914), p.2; AFL Tables: Billy Robinson.
  44. AFL Tables: Bill Twomey, Sr.
  45. AFL Tables: Clarrie Hearn
  46. AFL Tables: Ron McCann
  47. AFL Tables: Jack Grant
  48. AFL Tables: Lance Mann
  49. "Tigers of all sports". 3 January 2015.
  50. "The World Today Archive: Stawell Gift to stay put". Australian Broadcasting Corporation . Retrieved 14 July 2009.
  51. "Ballarat looks to poach Stawell Gift". ABC News. 14 July 2009. Retrieved 14 July 2009.
  52. "Premier announces funding for Stawell Gift". 15 September 2009. Retrieved 16 September 2009.

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Eric James Cumming was an Australian rules footballer who played with Footscray in the Victorian Football League (VFL) during the late 1940s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burnie Gift</span>

The Burnie Gift is a professional footrace held in Burnie, Tasmania during an annual sports carnival, held on a grass track at West Park Oval on New Year's Eve. It is conducted by the Tasmanian Athletic League in conjunction with the Burnie Athletic Club. The Burnie Gift is a sprint event conducted over the traditional 'Gift' distance of 120 metres.

Fergie Speakman (1900–1990) was an athletics coach who trained runners primarily on the Australian professional running circuit including five winners of the Stawell Gift - the most by any coach in the history of the race.

George McNeill is a Scottish former world professional sprint champion and the only man to have won both of the most famous professional footraces in the world – the New Year Sprint (1970) in Scotland and the Australian equivalent – the Stawell Gift (1981). McNeill had previously played professional football in the Scottish Football League for Hibernian, Greenock Morton and Stirling Albion.

John King was an Australian rules footballer who was recruited from the Rutherglen Football Club and played with St Kilda in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

David McKenzie Strickland was an Australian rules footballer who played with St Kilda in the Victorian Football League (VFL). and was also a Stawell Gift winner in 1900.

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