Women's athletics in Australia

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Women's athletics in Australia
Runners in a relay race, Brisbane, 1939.JPG
Runners in a relay race, Brisbane, 1939 Val Weaver and Vera Askew passing the baton in a relay race, 1939.
CountryAustralia
National team(s) Australia

While not being urged to avoid competition, women had few opportunities to compete in sport in Australia until the 1880s. After that date, new sporting facilities were being built around the country and many new sport clubs were created. [1] Athletic events were being held in schools in Australia by the early part of the twentieth century. The Glennie School in Toowoomba was one school to host races for girls during their annual girls' sport day. During the 1920s, girls were able to run while wearing bloomers, instead of skirts. [2] The first meeting for women's athletics took place in 1926 and was organised by the NSWAAA. The purpose of the meeting was to determine if it would be possible to send women to compete in the 1928 Summer Olympics based on merit. Only one female athlete was determined to be good enough to send. That was E.F. Robinson. The first women's national athletics body designed to govern the sport in Australia was founded in 1932 and was called the Australian Women's Amateur Athletic Union. It was designed to oversee state organisations in Victoria (1929), Queensland (1921), New South Wales (1932) and South Australia. (1932) [3] The first Australian woman to travel overseas to compete was E.F. Robinson, who went to the 1928 Summer Olympics where she ran in the 100-metres. She came in third and was the only Australian female on the 1928 Australian Olympic team. [4]


Statue of Shirley Strickland outside the Melbourne Cricket Ground Shirley Strickland.jpg
Statue of Shirley Strickland outside
the Melbourne Cricket Ground

In 1934, the Victorian Women's Centennial Sports Carnival was held. The event was organised by the Victorian Women's Amateur Sports Council and held at the Melbourne Cricket Grounds. The purpose was to increase women's interest in sport by providing them opportunities to play. Sports that were included on the programme included cricket, field hockey, women's basketball, bowls, rowing, swimming, athletics, rifle shooting, baseball, golf, tennis and badminton. There were over 1,000 bowlers involved over the course a week. Cricket featured a match versus a visiting English side. Women's basketball featured a Victorian side playing against a representative all Australian side. There was a day for watersports such as swimming and rowing. A tennis tournament was held. A field hockey tournament featuring Australian, Kiwi and Fijian teams was played. [5]

In 1935, a decision was made to allow women to compete in the 1938 Empire Games. The decision was made that year that the Australians were to host the event and they were the ones who would determine what events would be competed. The women's events that were to be included were swimming and athletics, events that Australia was to dominate in. [6]


The second World War was disruptive to women's athletics in Australia. Some runners players, such as Shirley Strickland, joined up to help the war effort. [7]

Australian women's sports had an advantage over many other women's sport organisations around the world in the period after World War II. Women's sport organisations had largely remained intact and were holding competitions during the war period. This structure survived in the post war period. Women's sport were not hurt because of food rationing, petrol rationing, population disbursement, and other issues facing post-war Europe. [8]

During the 1950s, Australian women dominated the athletics competitions at the Empire Games. [9]

Australians have competed in the British Athletics Championship and done well. In 1962, J. Berretta won at the mile. In 1961 and 1962, B. Moore won at the 80 metre hurdles. [3] Historically, Australia's female athletics competitors have outperformed their male counterparts. They have won more Olympic medals. Their events are better organised. [4]

At the 1974 Commonwealth Games, Raelene Boyle won two gold medals: 100 metres and 200 metres sprint medals. Australia won other athletics medals at these games. They won a gold medal in the 4 x 100 relay. Runners on the relay team included Boyle, Denise Robertson, Jenny Lamy and Robyn Boak. Charlene Rendina won a gold medal in the 800 metres. Petra Rivers won a gold medal in javelin. [10]

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Women's sport in Australia started in the colonial era. Sport made its way into the school curriculum for girls by the 1890s. World War II had little impact on women's sport in the country. After the war, women's sport diversified as a result of new immigrants to the country. In the 1990s, the percentage of media coverage for women's sport on radio, television and in newspapers was not at parity with male sport. Basketball is nominally professional in Australia but players do not earn enough from the sport to compete full-time. Some Australians have gone overseas to play professional sport. Many television spectators for Australian sport are women. In person, netball has large percentage of female spectators. The Australian Federal and State governments have encouraged women to participate in all areas of sport.

Womens badminton in Australia womens sport in a geographic region

The beginning of women's badminton in Australia dates back to the year 1900, when for the first time badminton was played in Australia.

Womens bowls in Australia

The first women's bowls match played in Australia took place in Stawell, Victoria in October 1881. The first women's only bowls club was not created for another seventeen years, when the Rainsford Bowls Club was created on 16 December 1898 at the home of J. Rainsford Needham, who lived in Glenferrie, Victoria. The first women's bowls association was created in September 1907. The association was called the Victorian Ladies' Bowling Association, and was created by six Melbourne, Victoria based clubs. It was the first women's bowling association created the world.

Womens cricket in Australia

While not being urged to avoid competition, women had few opportunities to compete in sport in Australia until the 1880s. After that date, new sporting facilities were being built around the country and many new sport clubs were created.

Womens croquet in Australia

Croquet has historically been a sport in Australia where men and women were able to compete on a level playing field.

Womens golf in Australia

While not being urged to avoid competition, women had few opportunities to compete in sport in Australia until the 1880s. After that date, new sporting facilities were being built around the country and many new sport clubs were created. One of the reasons women were encouraged to play croquet, tennis and golf during the late 1800s was because it was scene as beneficial to their health. These sports were also seen as passive, non-aggressive and non-threatening to the period's concepts of masculinity and femininity. During the late 1800s and early 1900s, women were allowed to be members of golf clubs but most women could not be because the game was too expensive to play. Women were also limited because of restrictions imposed upon them by the men who ran the clubs and courses. For example, at the Brisbane Golf Club in 1901, women were not allowed to become full members, only associate members, could not belong to any club committees and there were limited times when they could play. Women were allowed to play and did in places such as Willowburn, Queensland. Like other sports of the time, women wore long sleeved blouses and skirts that were ankle length. They also wore hats while they were playing.

Womens lacrosse in Australia

While not being urged to avoid competition, women had few opportunities to compete in sport in Australia until the 1880s. After that point, new sporting facilities were being built around the country and many new sport clubs were created. During the 1900s in Australia, lacrosse became more socially acceptable for women to participate in. Subsequently female participation rates rose in places like Queensland.

Womens rifle shooting sport in Australia

Shooting was an important skill for women in the bush to possess. It was encouraged as part of self-reliance. Rifle shooting as a sport was being played in Queensland by 1914.

While not being urged to avoid competition, women had few opportunities to compete in sport in Australia until the 1880s. After that date, new sporting facilities were being built around the country and many new sport clubs were created. For swimming, the rapid expansion of facilities took place during the 1880s and the 1890s. Compared to the past when the whole of the swimming community was made up of males, currently 55 percent of the Australian swimming membership is made up of women. Not only do females dominate swimming in the pool but there are more than 5,500 female coaches in the swimming world in Australian and over 2,000 female technical officials.

Womens tennis in Australia

While not being urged to avoid competition, women had few opportunities to compete in sport in Australia until the 1880s. After that date, new sporting facilities were being built around the country and many new sport clubs were created. One of the reason women were encouraged to play croquet, tennis and golf during the late 1800s was because it was seen as beneficial to their health. These sports were also seen as passive, non-aggressive and non-threatening to the period's concepts of masculinity and femininity.

Womens baseball in Australia

In the 1880s in Victoria, there were school competitions for girls involving interschool competitions for rounders, an early form of baseball. The competitions were abandoned in the 1890s. Girls who played rounders/baseball during the 1880s and 1890s were required to wear long sleeved shirts and long skirts. These restricted a player's ability to move.

The history of sport in Australia dates back to the pre-colonial period of the country.

References

  1. ↑ Howell, Howell & Brown 1989 , p. 84
  2. ↑ Howell, Howell & Brown 1989 , p. 80
  3. 1 2 Pollard 1968 , p. 14
  4. 1 2 Pollard 1968 , p. 28
  5. ↑ Stell 1991 , p. 59
  6. ↑ Stell 1991 , p. 109
  7. ↑ Stell 1991 , p. 98
  8. ↑ Stell 1991 , p. 100
  9. ↑ Department of Sport, Recreation and Tourism & Australian Sport Commission 1985 , p. 24
  10. ↑ Stell 1991 , p. 130

Bibliography

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