1938 British Empire Games Explained

III British Empire Games
Size:170
Host City:Sydney, Australia
Nations:15
Athletes:464
Events:71
Opening:5 February 1938
Closing:12 February 1938
Opened By:John Loder, 2nd Baron Wakehurst
Stadium:Sydney Cricket Ground
Previous:II

The 1938 British Empire Games were the third British Empire Games, the event that evolved to become the Commonwealth Games. Held in Sydney, Australia from 5–12 February 1938, they were timed to coincide with Sydney's sesqui-centenary (150 years since the foundation of British settlement in Australia). Venues included the Sydney Cricket Ground (the main stadium), the Sydney Sports Ground, North Sydney Olympic Pool and Henson Park. An estimated 40,000 people attended the opening ceremony. A competitors' residential village was established within the grounds of the Sydney Showground.[1] [2]

The star of the games was the Australian athlete Decima Norman, who won five gold medals in track and field. Margaret Dovey, later married to Australian prime minister Gough Whitlam, finished sixth in the 220 yards breaststroke.

Due to the onset of World War II, the games were not held again until 1950.

Participating teams

Medals by event

Athletics

See main article: Athletics at the 1938 British Empire Games.

Boxing

Flyweight Johnny Joubert (SAF)
Bantamweight Hendrik Knoesen (SAF)
Featherweight Barney Henricus (CEY)
Lightweight William Fulton (RHO)
Welterweight Andrew Tsirindonis (RHO)
Middleweight
Light heavyweight Nick Wolmarans (SAF)
Heavyweight Claude Sterley (SAF)

Cycling

Track

Time Trial1:15.21:15.71:15.9
Sprint 1000 yd
10-mile Scratch24:44.0 Syd Rose (SAF)

Road

Road Race Hennie Binneman (SAF)2'53:29.6s.t.s.t.

Diving

Men's events

3 m springboard126.36124.78117.90
10 m platform108.74102.8798.93

Women's events

3 m springboard91.1888.2781.66
10 m platform36.4736.3934.57

Lawn bowls

See main article: Lawn Bowls at the 1938 British Empire Games.

Rowing

All events were for men only. The double sculls competition was an invitation event and originally no medals were awarded nevertheless these medals were counted nowadays. The bronze medal is listed as won by New Zealand.

Single sculls8:24
Double sculls7:29.4
Coxed four Australia
Don Fraser
Gordon Freeth
Harry Kerr
Jack Fisher
Stewart Elder
7:16.8 New Zealand
Albert Hope
George Burns
John Rigby
Ken Boswell
Jim Clayton
+1.25 lgths Canada
Donald Davis
James Temple
James MacDonald
Kenneth Jaggard
Max Winkler
+0.75 lgths
Eights
Basil Beazley
Desmond Kingsford
John Sturrock
John Burrough
John Turnbull
Peter Jackson
Rhodes Hambridge
J. Tim Turner
William Reeve (cox)
6:29 Australia
Joe Gould
Alfred Gregory
Ted Bromley
Frank le Souef
Gordon Yewers
Richard Paramor
William Godfrey Thomas[3]
Bill Dixon
Doug Bowden
+0.75 lgths New Zealand
Gus Jackson
Cyril Stiles
Rangi Thompson
Howard Benge
John Charters
Les Pithie
Oswald Denison
James Gould
William Stodart
+2 lgths

Swimming

Men's events

110 yd freestyle59.6 Terry Collard (SAF)60.861.0
440 yd freestyle4:54.64:55.44:55.5
1650 yd freestyle19:46.419:59.220:17.4
110 yd backstroke01:07.91:09.01:09.3
220 yd breaststroke2:51.9 Walter Spence (BGU)3:00.53:00.8
nowrap 4×220 yd freestyle relay
Frederick Dove
Mostyn Ffrench-Williams
Norman Wainwright
Bob Leivers
9:19.0 Canada
George Burleigh
Gordon Devlin
Robert Hooper
Bob Pirie
9:20.2 Australia
Robert Wilshire
Noel Ryan
Robin Biddulph
William Fleming
9:32.9
3×110 yd medley relay
Frederick Dove
John Davies
Micky Taylor
3:28.2 Canada
Gordon Kerr
Jimmy Prentice
Bob Pirie
3:30.5 Australia
Ernest Hobbs
Percy Oliver
William Fleming
3:31.8

Women's events

110 yd freestyle1:10.11:11.11:12.1
440 yd freestyle5:39.75:40.25:42.0
110 yd backstroke1:19.51:22.51:23.2
220 yd breaststroke3:06.3 Carla Gerke (SAF)3:12.13:22.2
nowrap 4×110 yd freestyle relay Canada
Noel Oxenbury
Dorothy Lyon
Mary Baggaley
Phyllis Dewar
4:48.3 Australia
Dorothy Green
Evelyn de Lacy
Margaret Rawson
Pat Norton
4:49.0
Edna Hughes
Joyce Harrowby
Margery Hinton
Zilpha Grant
4:50.1
3×110 yd medley relay
Doris Storey
Lorna Frampton
Margery Hinton
3:57.7 South Africa
Carla Gerke
Hazel Holmes
Molly Ryde
4:07.5 Australia
Evelyn de Lacy
Pat Norton
Valerie George
4:10.0

Wrestling

All events were for men only.

Bantamweight
Featherweight
Lightweight Alfred Harding (SAF)
Welterweight Felix Stander (SAF)
Middleweight Peter Sheasby (SAF)
Light heavyweight Sidney Greenspan (SAF)
Heavyweight

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Sydney 1938. Commonwealth Games Federation. 28 December 2019. 7 April 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180407182918/https://thecgf.com/games/sydney-1938. dead.
  2. Web site: British Empire Games in Sydney 80 years ago was Australia's first major international event. 21 January 2018. insidethegames.biz. 28 December 2019.
  3. Web site: 1938 Sydney Empire Games – History of Australian Rowing. rowinghistory-aus.info. 2 July 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170305195633/http://www.rowinghistory-aus.info/commonwealth-games/1938-Sydney.php. 5 March 2017. dead.