Vale Gary Bourne

It’s too easy to simply have rated Gary Bourne as an elite coach - of athletes of all abilities. He is that for sure – in fact a master coach or coaching guru, depending on the preferred parlance for Gary made a massive and much wider contribution to athletics in a career that eventually spanned more than fifty years.

Gary began in club athletics as a member of Victoria’s Chelsea AAC at 16 years of age and maintained an active and continuous involvement in the sport until his passing on 1 November 2023 after the most determined and courageous of battles with brain cancer. Such was his commitment and love for the sport from the start that he ceased playing VFL football so he could retain his amateur status and continue competing in athletics.

Gary was, of course, deserving of recognition by Athletics Australia and the broader Australian sporting community for his coaching record alone. As, it is easy to argue, he was one of the best jumps coaches in the world with his record of success over many years rarely matched. But, unlike many elite coaches, Gary also consistently contributed to club and grass roots athletics in myriad ways – including as an administrator.

He represented Victoria on a number of occasions as a sprinter, hurdler and decathlete, won state 400m hurdles and decathlon open championships and was a member of seven Box Hill “A Grade” Club Premierships. He also represented Victoria in surf life saving on eight occasions.

In 1981 Gary moved to Brisbane for work and immediately engaged in club athletics and coaching. Disillusioned with the way athletics was run, he initially avoided involvement in the local "politics" of Queensland athletics. He thus became a six or seven day a week coach – for the majority of that time as a volunteer, finding countless hours amongst his professional commitments as a teacher. Since 1982, more than a score of his athletes have represented Australia in track and field at different levels. 

As a coach, Gary’s record was exceptional – morphing from volunteer to, in more recent times, in a professional capacity as National Jumps Coach before again resuming his place as a voluntary contributor.

His athletes won a swag of national titles and earned a long and impressive list of national team vests. They include international medalists - Mitchell Watt (World Championships silver and bronze, Olympic silver, national record), Henry Frayne (World Indoors silver, Commonwealth silver and former Oceania Indoor and Commonwealth record holder), Carlee Beattie (IPC World Championships silver 2013 and world record), Chris Noffke (World Youth champion 2004), Darren Thrupp (multiple Paralympic and IPC medals), Bronwyn Thompson (Commonwealth gold, national record, and still controversially fourth at the Athens Olympics), Jai Taurima (Olympic and Commonwealth silver, former national record holder), Monique Miers (Commonwealth gold) and hurdler Michelle Jenneke. In more recent times under Gary’s guidance, Naa Anang rose to the rare status of becoming national champion in both 100m and long jump and Jacinta Beecher became the first Australian woman to make a World Championship semi-final in the 200m sprint in 20 years.

When he saw it necessary or when urged to do so, Gary was prepared to raise his hand and take on significant administrative roles including terms as President of Queensland Athletics and the Southern Suburbs AC. In the former capacity he was also a delegate to Athletics Australia. This was not an easy time for athletics in the Sunshine State, but Gary stepped up wholeheartedly.

Gary was the driver of the concept of "centres" and rationalisation of resources, later overseeing the amalgamation of Souths and Mt Gravatt Athletics Club in 2002-03 season - to become QEII Track Club. He was rightly recognised as a life member of the new entity.

His special skills and abilities saw Gary appointed as head coach of the Athletics Australia National Jumps Centre, which was acknowledged as the Queensland Academy of Sport Program of the Year in 2012 for success and innovation.

Gary contributed significantly to coach education and mentoring of other athletics coaches. He led and delivered at coaching workshops, including through the school system, and throughout the country and internationally at high performance levels. He was involved in talent identification in Queensland schools and at the state and national institute level. He worked closely with researchers, sports scientists and medical professionals to better athlete performance and utilised his broad network to collaborate and advance jumps and sprints in Australia.

His talents also saw Gary identified as an ideal national team official and toured with Australian teams on more than 15 occasions in official capacities from 1994 – including senior roles with World Championships, Olympic and Commonwealth Games teams both as a coach and manager. In this capacity, Gary was widely adored for his honesty, integrity, and compassionate and supportive nature, never missing an opportunity to assist those in need. 

It has been said publicly, by many within the sport, that Gary was always there when he was required, whether it was as a mentor, an advisor or just a sympathetic ear. He never abandoned his self-perceived duty to the advancement of athletics in Australia.

Gary Bourne understood, significantly more than most, just what it takes to keep a diverse and logistically challenging sport like athletics ticking along every week. He valued the part that each person played in delivering training, competition and representative opportunities for participants at every level. He was always amongst the first to acknowledge recognition of others – particularly volunteers.

But for Gary, so much about what he was in it for, was represented by what is widely known as the “Bourne Squad”. This ever revitalising, yet still so enduring, group of individuals of many levels of ability meant so much to Gary and this was returned in spades by its members.

When asked about his coach, Henry Frayne provided these thoughts:

“Gaz was one of the most selfless and passionate people involved with our sport. He gave tirelessly to his athletes, to his colleagues, and in fact to anyone who needed his help. His light-hearted sense of humour, intertwined perfectly with his immense knowledge, and formed the foundation, to many within the sport, of friendship. His impact on my career could not adequately be summed up without the transcribing of a novel. He made the dreams of so many, including myself, come true. The impact of his loss will ripple for many years to come. We all lost a great friend when Gary passed and the sport has lost an immeasurable wealth of knowledge and passion.”

Gary became a Life Member of Athletics Australia in 2013 – in acknowledgement of a long, diverse and passionate contribution to the sport he loved. That contribution has continued unrelentingly.

There was, as it came to pass, one last chance to honour Gary in person at his place of work and success. At the 100th staging of the National Championships in Brisbane in March 2023, Gary, having coached the podium in the men’s long jump final (Liam Adcock, Jalen Rucker and Darcy Roper), was acknowledged before a manifestly appreciative attendance of his athletes past and present, their families and friends in the company of a knowing gathering of athletics fans. It was a special moment as Gary had been struggling with his health issues in the preceding months – challenges which continued until his passing.

Athletics in Australia has lost a champion. All in the sport extend their condolences to Gary’s athletes and his family – wife Noelene, his children Rodney, Jennifer, Yvette, Matthew, Tiffany and Natalya and his surviving siblings, Joan, Douglas, Carol and Ross.   

A celebration of Gary's remarkable life and outstanding achievements will be held on Sunday, 19 November 2023 and 2pm in the Track and Field Room at QSAC, Kessels Rd, Nathan. Details can be found here. 

He was privately cremated.

Prepared for Athletics Australia by Brian Roe with significant thoughts from Henry Frayne
Posted: 4/11/2023