Sport | National Library of Australia (NLA)

Sport

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A handwritten diary entry in an old fashioned script.

George Thomson, Diary entry for Tuesday 26 May 1868, Diary of George Thomson, 1868-1869, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-3308197449

Indigenous Australian cricket team touring England in the 1860s

Australians have often gone to great lengths to see their favourite sporting teams, even back in the 1860s!

First Australians
News article
Two woman in green and gold clothing embracing excitedly in front of a crowd.

Leigh Henningham, Matildas fans reacting to an Australian goal at a public screening of the Australia vs Canada 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup match at Federation Square, Melbourne, Victoria, 31 July, nla.obj-3254738517

Photographs of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup

The Library commissioned photographers to capture the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.

News article
A gold medal standing upright on a white cotton surface. The medal shows a figure holding a trumped and a wine amphorae. Behind the figure is a bust on a stand. In raised lettering around the edge of the medal are the words 'Olympiska Spelen Stockholm' The year '1912' is also present.

Olympic gold medal won by Miss Fanny Durack at Stockholm, 1912, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-139311257

Fanny Durack

Topic

One of the most significant events at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics was the admission of women into the Olympic swimming competition.

Digital Classroom
Group of men in white pants and dark blazers standing in a field. One of them holds a previous version of the Australian flag and another a sign that Reads 'Australie'

Léquipe d'Australie, 1924, nla.obj-148686918

Voyage to the 1924 Paris Olympics

Explore letters written by Dorothy Richmond about her experience travelling to Europe with the 1924 Australian Olympic team.

Blog
Four illustrations of a man demonstrating the different stages of executing a swimming stroke.

Podporuchik Pokrovskiĭ, Samouchitel sportivnago plavanii︠a︡: sostavleno po novieiǐshim ni︠e︡metskim rukovodstvam I. V. Mang i E. Raush i dopolneno avtorom [detail], 1913, nla.obj-3264329400

Russian lessons on 'Australian' swimming

A 1913 Russian brochure on teaching the 'Australian method' of swimming has recently been added to our collection.

News article
A marathon runner smiles and holds his fists up as he runs

Michael Jensen, Robert de Castella winning the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games Marathon, Brisbane, 1982, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-136995791

Sport in Australia research guide

Find resources and information on the history and role of sport in Australian society, and its unique place in the Australian cultural landscape.

Research guide
Six women smiling as they play football. One has just kicked the ball.

Darren Clark, The Stronger Sisters playing football at the Tennant Creek football Grand Final, 2011, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-152960442

First Nations and sport

First Nations people participated in sports long before Australian Federation.

First Australians
Research guide
Black and white photo of Aboriginal Australian cricketers in 1868 with C. Lawrence and W. Shepherd as Manager and Captain

Aboriginal Australian cricketers with C. Lawrence & W. Shepherd as Manager and Captain, England, 1868, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-136410831

First Nations sporting greats

First Nations athletes have been involved in some of our most triumphant moments in sport and continue to make a significant contribution to our nation’s sport at all levels.

First Australians
Research guide
A gold medal standing upright on a white cotton surface. The medal shows a figure holding a trumped and a wine amphorae. Behind the figure is a bust on a stand. In raised lettering around the edge of the medal are the words 'Olympiska Spelen Stockholm' The year '1912' is also present.

Olympic gold medal won by Miss Fanny Durack at Stockholm, 1912, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-139311257

Women in sport

Historically, Australian women have made their mark in the sports record books worldwide.

Research guide
Black and white photo of basketball player, Robert Rose, poised to shoot at the goal

Damian McDonald, Robert Rose, basketball player from Canberra Cannons team, 1997, https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-136393881

Sporting immigrants

With new people and cultures come new ideas and a significant immigrant contribution to Australian sport and society.

Research guide
A black and white photo of Louise Sauvage leading another wheelchair racer on a track.

Serena Ovens, Portrait of Louise Sauvage, 1996 paralympian, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-136368441

Disability and sport

The sporting movement for people with disabilities began in the 1940s with the pioneering work of Dr Ludwig Guttmann at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in England.

Research guide
Five girls playing a rugby game on a rugby pitch
Photographs of the 2022 Pacifica Youth Rugby Cup

Four photographs of the 2022 Pacifica Youth Rugby Cup have recently been added to our collection.

News article

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