Lest We Forget | Athletics and World War I

On Remembrance Day 2023, we take a look back at the impact of war on track and field in Australia during the years of the Great War.

When Australia joined World War I on 4 August 1914, athletics was flourishing across the nation. But it would not be long before this picture changed as war became the greater game.

THE DEBATE 
Through the war years there was constant debate about the continuation of sport. Shortly after Australia joined the war the newspapers of the day noted the mood towards sport’s continuation.

“The recent outbreak of war sees the suspension of many sporting events. There is mixed views on the continuation. Some feel is was our patriotic duty to divert all energy towards the war effort, while others believed sport at a local level would boost the morale of the Australian public.”

ATHLETICS SUSPENDED
In January 1914, Melbourne hosted the national track and field championships. The next edition was due in January 1916, but on 5 August 1915 with Australia’s involvement in the war already one year old, the 1916 Australian Championships were cancelled.  The 1918 titles were also suspended, with National competition not resuming until January 1920. Cross Country championships took a long break with no titles between 1912 and 1921.

It was a similar situation in the states. Victoria suspended titles between 1915 and 1920. NSW stopped after 1916 and until 1921. South Australian between 1913 and 1919, however Queensland did continue competition during the period. Western Australia and Tasmania also ceased operations. 

Most states and sporting organisations had chosen to cancel open age competition, while school and junior competition continued. Athletics clubs and organisations reported between 60% and 80% of members joining ‘the colours’. At a NSW Sports Club meeting in February 1920 Edward Marks read a letter from the West Australian Athletics Association which stated that 95% of its members had enlisted in the Great War and nearly all of them had been either killed or wounded. WA was reforming clubs with junior members.

Western Suburbs Athletics Club (NSW) - During the war years the club continued to exist but was not very active owing to the enlistment of a great number of members. The club’s honorary secretary Bede McCarthy and Treasurer E.R. Ferris, enlisted and travelled to Europe in 1916. After the war the club was re-established on 21 May 1919. McCarthy had served as a driver in the 26th Battery, while tragically Ferris was killed on the western front. 

Essendon and East Melbourne Harriers (Vic) - “Up to 11th July 1914, when all fixtures were abandoned, there were record attendances averaging over 31, and all looked forward to a very successful year, but at this stage, the war clouds were gathering rapidly and when the Mother Country declared war against Germany, it cast a gloom over all outdoor sport and the attendance became less and less as the season advanced”. By 1916, 37 members had enlisted and three were killed. Club championships were named after members killed in the Great War. The 7 mile was called the H. L .Beeson after the pre-war captain and the 5 mile was named after H. L. Fynmore, a St. Thomas secretary. Both were killed at Gallipoli. A 100 yard handicap was introduced to the memory of L. Williamson.

East Sydney Athletics Club (NSW) - Membership which reached a peak of 80 in 1910, dropped to just 13 in 1916. 131 members of the club enlisted in the war, with 23 losing their life.  One of the most famous was Alan Scott a leading high jumper who landed in Gallipoli on 25 April 1915 and died in Belgium in 1917. Injured in the war was 1912 Olympian Joe Lynch.

Posted: 11/11/2023
Prepared by David Tarbotton
Image: A recruiting poster and an Australian sporting team during WWI