Commonwealth Games
Events > Commonwealth Games > Countries > Australia
Australia
Trivia
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Australia has hosted the Commonwealth Games four times: in Sydney 1938, Perth 1962, Brisbane 1982 and Melbourne 2006.
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Australia officially became a member of the Commonwealth of Nations in 1931 under the Statute of Westminster having become independent of the UK in 1901.
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Australia is one of only six nations have attended every Commonwealth Game (The others are Canada, England, New Zealand, Scotland and Wales).
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The first Australian Team in 1930 in Hamilton, Canada had 11 in the team - 1994 Team had 332,1998 Team had 439 and the 2002 Team had a record 515.
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The first Australian team in 1930 won 8 medals in comparison to England with 61. The 2002 Team won 207 medals ahead of England second with 165.
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Since World War II, at the Commonwealth Games, Australian athletes have won 80 medals in Auckland in 1950, 105 medals in Perth in 1962, 107 medals in Brisbane in 1982, 120 medals in Edinburgh in 1986, 162 medals in Auckland in 1990, 187 medals in Victoria in 1994, 198 medals in KL in 1998 and 207 in Manchester in 2002.
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The 1938 Team in Sydney was outfitted by a Sydney Department store, Farmers, with a jumper, a tie, a pair of shorts, and a singlet - the 1998 team had a Blazer, two shirts/blouses, trousers/skirt, shoes, belt, tie/scarf, suitcase, sports bag, tracksuit, competition gear, training gear, village gear.
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1930 Team left Sydney on 26 June on R.M.S. "Aorangi" and arrived 23 July in Hamilton - 1994 Team left Sydney by chartered Qantas Jumbo 747 on 11 August and arrived in Canada on 10 August. In 1998 Team acclimatised in Cairns, Perth, Darwin, and Singapore, and the flight from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur took 8 hours.
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Australia's most successful Games was at the Manchester Games in 2002, when the largest ever Australian Team (371 competitors) won a record 207 medals - 82 gold, 62 silver and 63 bronze. The largest Gold Medal Tally was 87 Gold won by the 1994 Commonwealth Games Team.
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Australia is the undisputed sports champion of the Commonwealth. Following the 2002 Games, in the overall medal count, it is Australia with 1683 medals, England second with 1582, and Canada third with 1228. When it comes to gold medals, Australia has collected 646, England 542 and Canada 387 (figures prior to 2006)
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In every Commonwealth Games since 1970 Australia has won the Men's Cycling Sprint (and has won 12 out of the 15 times the event has been contested). Gary Neiwand won the race in three successive Games - 1986, 1990 & 1994.
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See map of Australia
Champions
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In 1994 Shane Kelly, Darryn Hill and Tim O'Shannessey took all three medals in the cycling 1000m Time Trial, the first time Australia had ever done so.
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Raelene Boyle won the sprints double (100m and 200m) in 1970 and 1974. She was the last to win the female sprints double, a feat that had occurred at each of the nine Games since 1934. No female has won the double since.
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The most gold medals won at a single Games is by Swimmers Susan O'Neill OAM and Ian Thorpe won 6 gold medals at the 1998 Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games and the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games, respectively.
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The most medals won by a competitor is by shooter Phillip Adams OAM has won 18 medals (7 gold, 9 silver, 2 bronze) at five Games (1982, 86, 90, 94, 2002). The most medals won by a female competitor is 15 medals by swimmer Susan O'Neill OAM (10 gold, 5 silver) at the 1990, 1994 and 1998 Games.
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The most gold medals won is by Swimmer Susan O'Neill OAM won 10 gold medals at three successive Games (1990, 94, 98). Also, swimmer Ian Thorpe won 10 gold medals at two successive Games (1998, 2002).
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The athlete who has represented at the most Games is Arthur Tunstall OBE (1962, 66, 70, 74, 78, 86, 90, 94) and Donald Stockins OAM (1974, 78, 82, 86, 90, 94, 98, 2002) have each represented Australia as an official at 8 Commonwealth Games. Shooter Phillip Adams OAM (1982, 86, 90, 94, 98, 2002) has competed in 6 Commonwealth Games.
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The oldest gold medal winner was Dorothy Roche OAM, aged 61 years and 10 months old when she won a gold medal in the women's fours in Bowls at the 1990 Auckland Commonwealth Games.
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The Youngest gold medal winner was Jenny Turrell, aged 13 years and 8 months old when she won a gold medal in the 400 metres Freestyle Swimming at the 1974 Christchurch Commonwealth Games.
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At the 1994 Games, Australian Keiran Perkins set two world records (800m and 1,500m Freestyle) both in the 1,500m race.
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Australia's Decima Norman's winning performances in Athletics at the 1938 Games - 1st in all events in which she competed, winning 5 Gold medals (100 yards, 220 yards, Broad Jump, 440 yards Medley Relay; 660 yards Medley Relay.
