| Australasia at the Olympics | |
|---|---|
 Australasian Olympic Flag | |
| IOC code | ANZ |
| Medals Ranked 78th |
|
| Summer appearances | |
| Other related appearances | |
 Australia (1896–1904, 1920–) New Zealand (1920–) | |
Australasia was a combined team of athletes from Australia and the Dominion of New Zealand that competed together at the 1908 and 1912 Summer Olympics. When the Olympic Games resumed in 1920 after World War I, the two nations sent separate teams to the Games, and have done so ever since.
| Date | Team | |
|---|---|---|
| 1900–1904 | Australia (AUS) | |
| 1908–1912 |  Australasia (ANZ) | |
| 1920– | Australia (AUS) | New Zealand (NZL) |
| Games | Athletes | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1908 London | 32 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 11 |
| 1912 Stockholm | 26 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 12 |
| Total | 3 | 4 | 5 | 12 | 78 | |
| Sport | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Swimming | 2 | 3 | 3 | 8 |
 Rugby union | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
 Boxing | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
 Athletics | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
 Tennis | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 3 | 4 | 5 | 12 |
The Australasia team won a total of twelve medals in the two Olympiads in which they competed, mostly in swimming. One New Zealander won a medal in 1908 (Harry Kerr a bronze in athletics [1] ), and two New Zealanders (Malcolm Champion a gold in swimming, [2] Anthony Wilding a bronze in tennis [3] ) won medals in 1912; all other medalists for Australasia were Australians.
The 1912 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the V Olympiad and commonly known as Stockholm 1912, were an international multi-sport event held in Stockholm, Sweden, between 5 May and 22 July 1912.
Anthony Frederick Wilding, also known as Tony Wilding, was a New Zealand world No. 1 tennis player and soldier who was killed in action during World War I. Considered the world's first tennis superstar, Wilding was the son of wealthy English immigrants to Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand and enjoyed the use of private tennis courts at their home. He obtained a legal education at Trinity College, Cambridge and briefly joined his father's law firm. Wilding was a first-class cricketer and a keen motorcycle enthusiast. His tennis career started with him winning the Canterbury Championships aged 17. He developed into a leading tennis player in the world during 1909–1914 and is considered to be a former world No. 1. He won 11 Grand Slam tournament titles, six in singles and five in doubles, and is the first and to date only player from New Zealand to have won a Grand Slam singles title. In addition to Wimbledon, he also won three other ILTF World Championships : In singles, two World Hard Court Championships (WHCC) (1913–14) and one World Covered Court Championships (WCCC) (1913). With his eleven Grand Slam tournaments, two WHCC and one WCCC titles, he has a total of fourteen Major tournament titles. His sweep of the three ILTF World Championships in 1913 was accomplished on three different surfaces being the first time this has been achieved in Major tournaments.
Australia has sent athletes to all editions of the modern Olympic Games. Australia has competed in every Summer Olympic Games, as well as every Winter Olympics except 1924–32 and 1948. In 1908 and 1912 Australia competed with New Zealand under the name Australasia.
Sport in New Zealand largely reflects the nation's colonial heritage, with some of the most popular sports being rugby union, rugby league, cricket, association football, basketball, horse racing and netball, which are primarily played in Commonwealth countries. New Zealand has enjoyed success in many sports, notably rugby union, rugby league, cricket, America's Cup sailing, world championship and Olympics events, and motorsport.
At the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden eight tennis events were contested divided over two tournaments; an indoor covered courts tournament, played on wood, held from May 5 until May 12 and an outdoor hard court tournament, played on clay, held from June 28 until July 5.
Harry Austin Kitson was a male tennis player from South Africa who won a gold medal at the men's doubles event at the 1912 Summer Olympics.
The following lists events that happened during 1908 in New Zealand.
The following lists events that happened during 1912 in New Zealand.
Leslie Boardman was an Australian freestyle swimmer of the 1910s. As a member of the Australasia combined team of Australia and New Zealand athletes, Boardman won a gold medal in the 4×200-metre freestyle relay at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden.
Harold Hampton Hardwick was a versatile Australian sports star of the early 20th century – an Olympic gold medal swimmer, national heavyweight boxing champion, and a state representative rugby union player. He later became a colonel in the Australian Imperial Force. Hardwick was on the winning team of the 4x200-metre freestyle relay at the 1912 Summer Olympics and won bronze medals in the 400-metre and 1500-metre freestyle.
Australasia was the name of a combined team from Australia and New Zealand that competed at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom. It was the fourth appearance of Australia, which had not missed any edition of the Summer Olympic Games, and the first appearance of New Zealand. The two would compete together again as Australasia at the 1912 Summer Olympics before competing separately at every edition of the Summer Games since. In 1908 there were three New Zealanders, Harry Kerr, Henry Murray and Albert Rowland ; all other competitors were Australian. There were 30 competitors for Australasia who competed in 20 events in six sports. A further two competitors, who were to compete in tennis, did not play as their nominations failed to reach the organisers.
Malcolm Eadie Champion was New Zealand's first Olympic gold medallist, and the first swimmer to represent New Zealand at an Olympic Games. He won a gold medal in the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden as part of a combined team with Australia, competing as Australasia.
Australasia was the name of a combined team at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden, consisting of 26 athletes from Australia and New Zealand. The combined team had also competed at the 1908 Games, but Australia and New Zealand would send separate teams to the next Games in 1920.
Henry Edward Kerr was a New Zealand athlete who competed mainly in walking events. He competed for Australasia in the 1908 Summer Olympics held in London in the 3500 metre walk where he won the bronze medal. This was the first time a New Zealand-born person had won an Olympic medal.
New Zealand competed at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. The team consisted of four competitors: an athlete, a boxer, and two swimmers. Porritt was also the team's manager, and he won the nation's first medal in athletics.
New Zealand competed at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam, Netherlands with a team of four athletes, four swimmers and two boxers. Seven men and three women represented their country, accompanied by four others. The athletes were led by Arthur Porritt, who was the only New Zealand competitor who had attended the previous Summer Olympics in 1924; Porritt would four decades later become New Zealand's 11th Governor-General. The team won one medal; boxer Ted Morgan won gold in the men's welterweight. Excluding Malcolm Champion's gold as part of a combined Australasia team in 1912, this was New Zealand's first Olympic gold medal.
New Zealand first sent an independent team to the Olympics in 1920. Prior to this, at the 1908 and 1912 Summer Olympics, New Zealand and Australian athletes competed together in a combined Australasia team. New Zealand has also participated in most Winter Olympic Games since 1952, missing only the 1956 and 1964 Games.
Norfolk Island has competed in eight of the eighteen Commonwealth Games, from 1986 onwards.
Albert Edward Mackay Rowland was a New Zealand athlete who competed in walking events. He competed for Australasia in two walking events at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London.
